New Delhi: Throughout the election campaigns, if there is one man who walks away with the controversial tag, it is young Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi.
First came his hate speeches, then the detention under the National Security Act (NSA), and now when he finally walks a free man, he might have just stepped into trouble again. This time for allegedly advocating his late father Sanjay Gandhi's sterilisation programme dating to the infamous Emergency.
However, Varun denies having made such a statement to a reporter of the UK based Daily Telegraph. He clarified that all he said was, " I am not in favour of forced sterilisation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nor have I made any mention of reviving any previous sterilisation programme or policy."
As per earlier reports, in the interview, Varun said he hoped to follow in his father's footsteps by offering strong leadership which, according to him, India lacked for 20 years.
Besides reviving the sterilisation policy, Varun said he would also propose a bill in parliament to introduce compulsory military service for all Indians to unite the country and overcome caste and religious differences.
"Instead of people thinking of themselves as Tamils or Brahmins, they should think of themselves as Indians," he said.
Referring to his recent controversial remarks, Varun also denied threatening Muslims, but had vowed to protect local people from "anti-social" elements after three local girls were reportedly gang-raped.