Varun will campaign for BJP: Rajnath

Varun Gandhi, released on two-week parole, will campaign for BJP while not resorting to any hate-speech tactics, party chief Rajnath Singh has said.  "Yes, he will campaign," Singh told reporters late last night after Gandhi reached his mother's official residence here.  

The BJP candidate from Pilibhit was yesterday released from Etah jail where he had been lodged for 19 days after Uttar Pradesh government slapped him with National Security Act.  

When asked if he was sure that Gandhi will not resort to hate-speech tactics again while campaigning for the party, Singh said, "He will never give a hate-speech and neither has he ever given any hate-speech in the past. This he himself has said on several occasions."  

According to party sources, the BJP leadership is divided on the issue of deputing Gandhi on the campaign trail as they fear a public backlash.  He has been advised to keep himself limited to his own campaign after the filing his nomination papers, the sources added.  

"He will keep to his residence in Delhi. He could accompany his mother to file her nomination papers in Aaonla on Saturday. However, party will have very little scope of any say if any individual wants Varun to campaign for him," a senior party leader said.