Nehru's niece says Varun's connection with the Nehru-Gandhi family is 'remote'

While Varun Gandhi's virulent speech has raised many an eyebrow in political circles, one of the strongest criticisms has come from Jawaharlal Nehru's niece Nayantara Sehgal who has termed his comments as "disgraceful" and "horrifying". Speaking to the 'Outlook' magazine, Sehgal, however, added that Varun Gandhi was only "remotely connected" with the Nehru-Gandhi family.

"I say remotely connected with deliberation, because, while Varun is no doubt a fourth generation descendant of the family, let us not forget that both he and his mother Maneka made an open break with the family," she said. "Varun might have been a toddler when she did it, but he struck out just as irrevocably when he joined the BJP some five years ago," she added. "Not just Nehru, even Feroze Gandhi, Varun's grandfather, must be turning in his grave at some of the things he is saying," she said. Sehgal even objected to the media referring to Varun's Nehru connection, saying that, "Varun Gandhi is a member of the BJP, what else do you expect any member of the BJP to say. After all, BJP is the party that has divided the nation on the basis of religion... it is the party which has destroyed the Babri Masjid and whose role model is Narendra Modi." Praising both Rahul and Priyanka, the other Gandhi siblings, she said, "While they were nurtured on the family's secular ideas, he (Varun) was simply not there." "Congress, whatever its sins, is dedicated to secularism and the unity of India. These religion-based parties are not," she said.