BJP distances itself from Varun's remarks

Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday disassociated itself from the alleged communal remarks made by party leader Varun Gandhi.

"BJP disassociates and disapproves the contents of the speech and the comments attributed to Varun Gandhi. We have not received any notice from the Election commission on the issue," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said in New Delhi as the saffron party distanced itself from the controversy.

Notwithstanding the official line taken by the party, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu appeared to take a soft stand on the issue that has seen Indira Gandhi''s grandson come from attack

both from within and outside the party.

"We will see the tape and hear from him what he has to say about what is purported to him ", he said in Bangalore.

"Without knowing anything for sure, how can we conclude anything," Naidu said, adding that Varun had told the party that the video tape had been 'doctored'.

Senior Congress leader and Union Minister Kapil Sibal slammed Varun for his communal speech and refusal to apologise and demanded that he be arrested for the non-bailable offence. A visibly angry Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar said in Patna that Varun''s remarks were condemnable.