New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maneka Gandhi on Saturday said that she has “faith” in his son Varun Gandhi, who was not picked to defend his Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit.

Speaking to NDTV, Ms Gandhi said that she respects the party’s decision to field a different candidate.

“I cannot challenge the party’s decision and I respect it. I have so much faith in Varun Gandhi. He is a capable person and will do his best,” the former Union Minister said.

“Some people become a Member of Parliament and some become a politician without being an MP,” Ms Gandhi told NDTV and drew a parallel with Chandra Shekhar, who was the first Indian prime minister who had never held any prior government office.

“You never know what life has in store for you,” the Sultanpur MP, also a noted environmental activist, said.

Varun Gandhi is a two-time MP from Pilibhit, which has been a family affair since 1989 when it was won by Maneka Gandhi.

On Fighting From Sultanpur

Maneka Gandhi, who is contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, said that she is happy that she has been given the opportunity again to serve the people of the constituency.

On being asked about her prediction on how many votes she would get, the eight-time MP said that she is trying her best every day to get as many votes as she can.

On Rahul Gandhi Contesting From Raebareli

On being asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contesting from the neighboring Raebareli Lok Sabha seat, Maneka Gandhi said that she doesn’t comment on other leaders.

“I never comment on other leaders. If they’re fighting, they should be happy,” she said.

Mr Gandhi has been attacked by various other BJP leaders for deciding not to make an attempt to win back the family bastion of Amethi and contesting from the relatively safe seat of Raebareli. His mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had held the Raebareli constituency since 2004 before moving to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.

On Inheritance Tax

She also spoke on the row over Sam Pitroda’s comment that the inheritance tax in the US was an interesting law and could contain issues that people can debate. Ms Gandhi said that it would be “unfair” to have an inheritance tax.

“I am against the inheritance tax. I just think it’s unfair to have an inheritance tax. A person tries to earn for his children his whole life and then you half of it. It would be good for other countries but I don’t think it’s right for India,” she said.

Mr Pitroda, who was an advisor to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and has been closely associated with his son Rahul Gandhi, accompanying him during his foreign visits, had last month stoked a debate over the BJP’s allegations that the Congress is planning a redistribution of wealth if it comes to power at the Centre after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair,” Mr Pitroda had told the news agency ANI.

The Congress, however, had distanced itself from the senior leader’s remarks and said they did not reflect the party’s position.

New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Varun Gandhi – not picked to defend his Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit – has written to the people of his soon-to-be former constituency to say that “even though my tenure is coming to an end… my relationship (with you) cannot end till my last breath”.

Mr Gandhi also said he considered himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to “serve the great people of Pilibhit”, and that their “ideals, simplicity, and kindness… had a huge contribution in my upbringing and development”. “Being your representative has been the greatest honour of my life, and I have always championed your interests to the best of my ability,” the BJP leader said.

“If not as an MP then as a son, I am committed to serve you throughout my life and my doors will always remain open for you… as before. I came into politics to raise the voice of the common man, and today I seek your blessings to always continue doing this work, no matter the cost,” he said.

Varun Gandhi also touched an emotional note in his letter, recalling his introduction to Pilibhit – as a three-year-old boy visiting with his mother, Maneka Gandhi, in 1983.

“… I remember that three-year-old boy who came to Pilibhit for the first time in 1983, holding his mother’s finger. How could he know that one day this land would become his workplace, and the people here would become his family?”

“The relationship between Pilibhit and me is one of love and trust… which is far above any political multiplication. I was, am, and will be yours…” Mr Gandhi concluded.

Varun Gandhi is a two-time MP from Pilibhit, which has been a family affair since 1989, when it was won by his mother, Maneka Gandhi. A noted environmental activist and former Union Minister, Mrs Gandhi is a six-time winner of the seat, including back-to-back wins as an independent candidate.

In the 2019 election Mr Gandhi thumped Hemraj Verma of the Samajwadi Party by more than 2.55 lakh votes. This time around, though, the BJP has opted to ditch the Gandhi name entirely.

However, in recent years Mr Gandhi, 44, has been critical of his own party’s government and policies. In September last year, for example, he slammed the BJP over the import of cheetahsfrom Africa. The remarks came after nine cheetahs died in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park in just five months.

On X, he tagged a news report on more cheetahs being brought to India and said, “Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine to die in a foreign land is… an appalling display of negligence.”

Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty, it’s an appalling display of negligence.

We should focus on conserving our own endangered species and habitats rather than contributing to the suffering of these magnificent… https://t.co/atB0hFE8wC

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) September 16, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party – bidding for a third consecutive term at the centre – has fielded former Congress leader Jitin Prasada from Pilibhit. He will contest against the Samajwadi Party’s Bhagwat Saran Gangwar, who will be the joint candidate of the INDIA opposition bloc.

READ | UP Minister Jitin Prasada Replaces Varun Gandhi In Pilibhit Contest

It is unclear if Mr Gandhi will be fielded from any other seat in this election, or if he will even remain with the BJP now. He does, though, have an invitation from the ‘enemy’ – the Congress.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has offered a place in the party, claiming the BJP had nixed Mr Gandhi’s ticket because of his connection to the Gandhi family; he is Rahul Gandhi’s cousin.

READ | “Has Clean Image”: Adhir Chowdhury Wants Varun Gandhi In Congress

“He should come here. We would be happy. He is an educated man. He has a clean image. BJP denied him a ticket because he is related to the Gandhi family. I think he should come (to Congress),” the Congress leader said.

UP is a key state in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election with 80 seats on offer. A clean sweep, or at least a strong showing, is essential if the BJP is to achieve its goal of 370+ seats on its own.

The opposition will consist of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav; the two have agreed a 17-63 split of the state’s seats.

UP will vote in each of the seven phases of the 2024 election, starting from April 19 and ending on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.

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New Delhi:

BJP MP Varun Gandhi today wrote to Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak saying the “swift suspension” of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital’s licence in Amethi, without a thorough investigation, is “an injustice” to all individuals who depend on the institution not only for primary healthcare services but also for their livelihoods.

“While accountability is crucial, it is imperative that principles of fairness and impartiality be upheld,” he wrote in a letter posted on X.

Urging the minister to reconsider his decision, taken after the death of a 22-year-old woman due to alleged medical negligence, Mr Gandhi said he hoped citizens’ access to medical services remains uninterrupted, while the government ensures a transparent inquiry that addresses immediate concerns, and identifies and rectifies any systemic issues that may have contributed to the incident.

“The hospital, whose foundation stone was laid by former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi in 1982, has stood as a steadfast pillar of healthcare support for the people in Amethi and its neighbouring districts for several decades,” Varun Gandhi’s letter said, warning that suspending its licence has “far-reaching implications” for the region’s healthcare access, employment, and education.

The swift suspension of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital’s license in Amethi, without a thorough investigation, is an injustice to all individuals who depend on the institution not only for primary healthcare services but also for their livelihoods.

While accountability is crucial, it… pic.twitter.com/9TJNcrIkvd

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) September 22, 2023

In addition to its healthcare services, the hospital, named after his father, serves as a significant employer, with approximately 450 dedicated staff members and thousands of others whose livelihoods depend on the continuous operation of this institution, Mr Gandhi pointed out, adding that it also plays a role in healthcare education by training 600 nursing and 200 paramedic students yearly.

“Suspending the hospital’s licence unilaterally, without affording it any opportunity to explain, raises concerns, as this decision impacts healthcare access, livelihood, and educational continuity,” he said, and suggested the matter should be approached with “a sense of proportionality and fairness”.

In another post on X with a video report of a protest demonstration by the hospital staff, Varun Gandhi said only the ‘vision of humanity’ can do justice to their suffering, not the ‘arrogance of the system’.

सवाल संजय गांधी अस्पताल के 450 कर्मचारियों और उनके परिवार का ही नहीं, रोज सैकड़ों की संख्या में इलाज कराने वाले सूबे की आम जनता का भी है।

उनकी पीड़ा के साथ न्याय ‘मानवता की दृष्टि’ ही कर सकती है, ‘व्यवस्था का अहंकार’ नहीं।

कहीं ‘नाम’ के प्रति नाराजगी लाखों का ‘काम’ न बिगाड़ दे। pic.twitter.com/KsfxNuaPuk

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) September 30, 2023

Suggesting the action had to do with the ‘Gandhi’ name in the hospital’s name, the BJP MP said resentment towards ‘name’ could spoil the ‘work’ of lakhs.

Sanjay Gandhi Hospital is run by Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust New Delhi and Sonia Gandhi is its chairperson while Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are the members of the trust.

New Delhi:

In yet another attack on his own party and the Centre, BJP MP Varun Gandhi has termed bringing cheetahs from Africa and allowing them to die “cruelty and negligence”, and called for a focus on conserving India’s endangered species.

Mr Gandhi’s remarks come in the backdrop of nine cheetah deaths in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park in a span of five months, and amid reports of the next batch of the big cats being brought from South Africa and introduced into the state’s Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.

As part of Project Cheetah, the first batch of the big cats, brought from Namibia, had been released in Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday –  September 17 – last year. Sunday will be the first anniversary of Project Cheetah. 

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Gandhi tagged a report on the another batch of cheetahs and said, “Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty, it’s an appalling display of negligence. We should focus on conserving our own endangered species and habitats rather than contributing to the suffering of these magnificent creatures.”

Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty, it’s an appalling display of negligence.

We should focus on conserving our own endangered species and habitats rather than contributing to the suffering of these magnificent… https://t.co/atB0hFE8wC

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) September 16, 2023

“This reckless pursuit of exotic animals must end immediately, and we should prioritise the welfare of our native wildlife instead,” his post said. 

This is far from the first time that the MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit has attacked his own party or a government headed by the BJP. At an event in Uttar Pradesh last month, he had asked people not to disturb a sadhu (ascetic) and said nobody knows “when ‘maharaaj ji’ will become the chief minister”.

The ascetic’s phone had started ringing, but Mr Gandhi had stopped BJP workers from asking him to switch it off.  “Please do not not stop him, never know when ‘maharaaj ji’ will become the chief minister. Then what will happen to us?” he had been quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The joke was seen as a dig at the government in Uttar Pradesh.  

Kuno National Park has seen the reintroduction of 20 adult cheetahs since September last year, and four cubs have been born there since then. Nine of the cheetahs, including three cubs, had died in a span of five months till early August this year. 

Some experts had attributed the cheetah deaths to the use of sub-standard radio collars, but the government had dismissed the charge as “speculation and hearsay without scientific evidence”.

Hearing a petition on the deaths, the Supreme Court had said last month that there was no reason to question the government on the moves being made to reintroduce cheetahs in India.

In an interview with PTI, Project Cheetah head SP Yadav said that the next batch of cheetahs will be imported from South Africa and introduced in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which will be ready to welcome them by the end of the year.

Pilibhit, UP:

In an apparent dig at his own party, BJP MP Varun Gandhi asked people at an event in UP not to disturb a sadhu standing nearby as nobody knows “when ‘maharaaj ji’ will become the Chief Minister”.

On Monday, when he was addressing party workers in his constituency Pilibhit, the sadhu’s phone started ringing. But the BJP MP stopped workers from asking the sadhu to switch it off.

“Please do not not stop him, never know when ‘maharaaj ji’ will become the Chief Minister. Then what will happen to us?” Mr Gandhi joked.

The video of the incident surfaced online with people interpreting it as a reference to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is also the Gorakshpeethadheeshwar of Gorakshpeeth. Mr Adityanath is always in a sadhu’s dress.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)