Varun hate speech CD not doctored: Report

A CD containing the alleged hate speeches of BJP leader Varun Gandhi, which created a furore ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, was "not doctored", the Hyderabad-based Forensic Science Laboratory has said in its report.

"The FSL report, which was received by police yesterday, has confirmed that the voice in the tapes is that of Varun Gandhi and the CD is not doctored," police officer Mani Ram Rao, who is investigating the cases lodged against Varun for his speeches at public meetings on March 7 and 8, said on Saturday.

Findings of the FSL report were also confirmed by Pilibhit district magistrate Ajay Chauhan, who said, "Though I have not seen the report yet, but I have been told that the FSL had said that the voice contained in the tape is that of Varun Gandhi."

Cases were lodged against 29-year-old Varun for delivering 'hate speeches' during public meeting at Barekhera and Lalauribagh on March 7 and Deshnagar on March 8.

These meetings were video-recorded and a CD was prepared in which the young BJP leader was shown making objectionable remarks. Varun, however, had alleged that the CD was doctored and the voice contained in the tape was not that of him.

The CD was later sent to the FSL Hyderabad for testing. Police said that it would soon file a chargesheet in the court in the matter.

The Mayawati government had slapped the stringent National Security Act against Varun and he had to spend nearly three weeks in jail. Later, the Supreme Court quashed the charges under NSA against him.

In New Delhi, Varun's mother and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi termed the report as "one-sided". "We will answer and prove in the court that the tapes are doctored," she told reporters.

Don't make Varun scapegoat, says Maneka:

Earlier on Saturday, Maneka Gandhi said that Varun should not be made a scapegoat for the BJP's poll debacle at the party's national executive meet in New Delhi.

Launching a strong defence of her son, Maneka alleged that those who lost the elections were wrongly blaming their defeat on Varun's speeches.

In an apparent reference to chief poll strategist and in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Arun Jaitley, she alleged he was not accessible even on the phone and was mainly involved in planting stories in the media.

She sought to draw a contrast between his way of functioning to that of his predecessor late Pramod Mahajan, who she said enquired about the day-to-day progress of the candidates.

On attacks that Varun's alleged hate speeches had led to polarisation of votes on communal lines, she claimed that Muslims decided to vote for whichever party that could defeat the BJP and realised it was the Congress.

Varun was also present at the national executive meeting while she spoke.