Action against Varun blot on history, says Jaitley

BHUBANESWAR: BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Monday described the government action against Varun Gandhi as a blot on the country's history. "The
baseless charges like attempt to murder and arrest under the NSA is both disproportionate and vindictive. It augurs badly for the Indian democracy," Jaitley said. He accused Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP of speaking in tandem on the issue.

Jaitley also predicted that polarization of political forces has created a conducive atmosphere for BJP to come to power in Orissa in the coming elections. Jaitley paced his argument on the basis of performance of the Congress government in the past and the one led by Naveen Patnaik who "concentrated more on scheming against others than development of the state."

"BJD leadership lacked political honesty. It perfected the art of betrayal. Betrayal in politics may work sometimes. But you do it repeatedly the general masses rise up to betray you," the BJP leader said, indicating the likely fate of the BJD in the elections. He alleged that BJD had joined hands with those forces who are inimical to Orissa's economic progress and have links with Maoists. He admitted BJP while performing the "coalition dharma religiously" had actually made a tactical mistake by continuing in the government.

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BJP-BSP faceoff leaves Cong, Mulayam scared

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government's decision to slap the dreaded NSA on Varun Gandhi for his hate speech in Pilibhit forced
arch-rival Mulayam Singh Yadav to dub it an "unjustified move", amid growing perception that Mayawati was using the issue to rally Muslims behind her prime ministerial aspiration.

Mulayam called the stringent police action against Varun "completely wrong", even as he covered his flanks against any perception of siding with a BJP man by accusing Mayawati of working in concert with the saffron party for the Pilibhit aspirant.

To buttress his point, Mulayam asked why Varun was not arrested before he could whip up passions by undertaking a surrender drama on March 28.

The SP reaction was strikingly similar to that of the Congress which saw a tacit BJP-BSP pact in Pilibhit, reflecting their fears that Mayawati may steal their ``secular'' thunder.

If "Maulana Mulayam" is risking being seen as lenient on a BJP man in the thick of elections, it is only reflective of how the BSP czarina has turned the Pilibhit controversy into a political gambit, leaving SP and Congress looking for urgent counter moves.

However, Mulayam's attack on the state government coincided with support from prominent Muslim clergy and the influential All India Muslim Personal Law Board for the tough action against Varun.

Source

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Hate speech: Weak BJP to Maya's advantage

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s attack on UP government on Monday coincided with support from prominent Muslim clergy and the
influential All India Muslim Personal Law Board for the action against Varun Gandhi.

Obviously, the question being asked is why Mayawati didn’t pre-empt the Varun roadshow, not a big task if she could stop L K Advani from holding a rally in Azamgarh just a few days ago.

Sources in Lucknow said Mayawati, who was initially wary of clamping down on Varun for fear of an adverse fallout among Brahmins, made up her mind after intelligence reports that the Pilibhit turnout on Saturday was a VHP affair with little local support.

The strategists of both Congress and SP seem convinced that the Mayawati gameplan is simple — let Varun-BJP polarize Hindus while she can clamp down on saffronites to consolidate Muslims behind BSP.

The gambit has a special role in western and central UP where BSP has to contend with strong challenge from SP and Congress. She can change the battle terrain by inserting a weak BJP in the play. A competitive SP and Congress hurt BSP more on Muslim front — a social group Mayawati is eyeing to supplement her Dalit-Brahmin combo.

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