SC extends parole of Varun Gandhi till May 14

The Supreme Court on Friday extended the parole of BJP leader Varun Gandhi, booked under the National Security Act for his alleged hate speeches, till May 14.

The order was passed by a Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan before which the Uttar Pradesh government accused Varun of violating the undertaking furnished by him for securing the interim bail.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for state government alleged that Varun did not furnish his whereabouts to Pilibhit district magistrate on two occasions that is on April 16 to 20 and April 23 to 25. He alleged that during this period, the BJP leader was in Uttar Pradesh, but did not inform the authorities in Pilibhit.

However, Varun's counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi denied the allegations and said he would respond to them. Salve said that Varun had made a representation before the Central government against invocation of the National Security Act, which was rejected.

Rohtagi alleged that both the Central and state governments have one agenda to keep Varun in jail. Varun was granted parole on April 16 for two weeks.

The BJP leader had approached the court after he was arrested under the NSA for allegedly making inflammatory statements and causing a breach of public order when he went to Pilibhit to surrender on March 28 in a case registered against him for allegedly making 'inflammatory and communal speech' during his campaigning there.

The court had on April 2 issued notices to the state government and the Pilibhit District Magistrate on the allegation by Varun, the BJP nominee from Pilibhit, that NSA was invoked against him with a political motive to sabotage his electoral debut.

Pilibhit constituency would go to polls on May 13 during the last and fifth phase of parliamentary elections.