Gaya: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Sunday disapproved of suggestions by some key BJP leaders that the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls was due to the hate speeches made by Varun Gandhi during campaigning.
"It is unfortunate that the blame is being passed on Varun for his speeches in Pilibhit for the electoral losses of BJP," VHP leader Praveen Togadia, who was in Gaya to attend a religious congregation, told reporters.
"What happened to BJP in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala in south as also in the Assembly elections in Rajasthan where it lost severely?" Togadia asked.
Varun was apparently not a factor in these states, he said adding "Varun was also not a factor during the 2004 general elections when the BJP suffered electoral reverses."
Senior BJP leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain had contended that Varun's speech had cost the party dearly in the elections.
Togadia said the country was facing major challenges from terrorist organisations, Maoists and other divisive forces and for tackling the problems, both the Centre and the state governments should work in tandem and make concerted efforts.