EC holds Varun guilty, asks BJP not to nominate him

The Election Commission's verdict on Varun Gandhi is out and it has found him guilty of breaching the model code of conduct.

In an order issued late on Sunday night, the commission said that it condemned the young politician
and also asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not to nominate him as a candidate.

Highly derogatory, provocative and totally unacceptable - that's how the Election Commission describes Varun Gandhi's speech. In the order, the commission said Varun doesn't deserve to contest elections, along with the instruction to the party.

"The EC's decision has been unprecedented. Till now no political party has been asked not to field a candidate," said BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj.

The Commission had issued notices to Varun and the BJP. Now it says none of the replies filed by Varun is convincing.

In his response, Varun had questioned the genuineness of the CD, but the commission says it's convinced that it is not tampered with.

Varun had also raised doubts over the timing of the CD. The Commission feels that's of little consequence, as it does not mean the tape was doctored.

Varun says the CD is from an unknown source and could have passed many hands before it reached the poll panel. But the Commission says that doesn't lessen the gravity of his offensive remarks.

And finally, Varun says his opponents are using the media to conspire against him and the Commission doesn't buy that logic as well.

Two criminal cases have already been lodged against Varun, but the EC cannot bar him from contesting, till he's convicted by a court of law, for a period of over two years. But it did condemn him saying his speech had stirred the conscience of the country - the world's largest Democracy.

Source:http://www.ndtv.com/convergence