Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Lalu backs out on remarks against Varun after FIR
Lalu Prasad got into quick damage control mode to avoid any trouble from EC for his remarks on Varun Gandhi.Facing the heat a day after his aggressive posturing against Varun, the former Bihar chief minister went on the defensive telling an election meeting in Garwah in Jharkand,
"What I meant was crushing him under the roller of law had I been the home minister." Lalu later told newsmen," I said that it doesn't matter how powerful a person maybe if someone indulges in opportunistic and communal politics then he will be bulldozed legally and politically. He will not be spared as far as I am concerned."
"Had I been country's home minister, I would have crushed Varun Gandhi under the roller and destroyed him without caring for the consequences for his hate speech against Muslims," Lalu thundered at an election meeting at the minority dominated constituency in Bihar.
Kishanganj District Magistrate Ferak Ahmed said, "The FIR was lodged under Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of IPC and Section 125 of Representation of People's Act with Kishanganj Town police station."
"I have watched the CD of Lalu Prasad's speech. He has tried to create communal disturbance and divide the society by his speech," Ahmed said, adding, "the CD was being forwarded to the Election Commission."
In Delhi, the Election Commission said it will look into the video footage of Lalu's rally where he made the remarks against Varun.
"The state CEO has been asked to send the CD which is on the way," Deputy Election Commissioner R Balakrishnan said. Lok Janshakti party chief Ramvilas Paswan and Lalu's ally came out in defence of the RJD chief saying, "I think Lalu meant that he would have taken strong action against Varun Gandhi for his hate speech against the minority community and for fomenting communal passion," Paswan was talking to reporters while releasing his party's election manifesto.
When told that an FIR had been lodged against Prasad for his remarks at Kishanganj yesterday, Paswan said "anybody can file an FIR ... It is for the EC and the court to take a decision.”
"While the BJP is playing the Hindu card over the Varun Gandhi issue, BSP chief Mayawati is trying to appease Muslims by getting him arrested and invoking NSA against him," Paswan said, adding Lalu's remarks were political and nothing much be read between the lines.
No Response to "Lalu backs out on remarks against Varun after FIR"
Post a Comment