HC issues notices to Varun, Rajnath

The Allahabad High Court today issued notices to five Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh, including BJP MP Varun Gandhi and party's president Rajnath Singh, on separate petitions challenging their election to Parliament.

The order to this effect was passed by Justice Sri Kant Tripathi, who directed the MPs to file their counter-affidavits within four weeks while fixing August 24 as the next date of hearing in the case.

The election of Gandhi, who was detained under the stringent National Security Act for his alleged hate speech prior to the polls, has been challenged by his maternal uncle V M Singh, who was fielded by Congress as its nominee from Pilibhit.

Rajnath Singh's election has been challenged by Samar Singh who had contested from Ghaziabad as an Independent.

Others who have been issued notices by the court are BSP MPs Kapil Muni Karwaria (Phoolpur) and Gorakhnath Pandey (Bhadohi), besides Samajwadi Party's Ramkishun (Chandauli).