Gandhi arrested for 'inciting violence against Muslims'

[Doctor Cynic]

Source: Daily Mail

The great-grandson of India’s first prime minister was arrested yesterday for promoting hatred against Muslims.

Varun Gandhi, 29, is alleged to have made hate speeches and incited violence ahead of next month’s national elections.

It is claimed he was filmed comparing a rival Muslim politician to Osama bin Laden and had threatened to cut the throats of Muslims at two recent political rallies.

Gandhi belongs to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has produced three prime ministers over six decades and always encouraged a secular government and tolerance for religious minorities.

But Varun, a descendant of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, is a member of the Hindu nationalist, right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1165527/Gandhi-arrested-inciting-violence-Muslims.html

[xchrom]

1. wow -- the apple fell very far from the tree. nt

[Critters2]

2. No relation to the Mahatma.

Grandson of Indira, great-grandson of Nehru.

[xchrom]

3. ah -- thanks. nt

[Critters2]

4. Indira was the daughter of Jawarhalal Nehru, and married

a Farsi Muslim man named Feroze Ghandi.

Ironically, her father asked the Mahatma to try to talk her out of the marriage. Didn't work, obviously,

Varun Gandhi is Indira's great-grandson, actually, I think.

Arun Gandhi, the grandson of the Mahatma is continuing his peacemaking work, and I've had the honor of meeting him at a couple of events I've been at. That apple did not fall far the tree. Here's his website: http://www.arungandhi.org/index.html

[smitra]

5. Correction...

Indira Nehru married Feroze Gandhi, a follower of the Zoroastrian, not Muslim, religion. In India, where the Zoroastrians settled about 1300 years ago, they are known as 'Parsis' (that is, people from Pars - Persia).

Varun is Indira's son Sanjay's son.

(Edit) In fact, I believe his full name is Feroze Varun Gandhi (named after his grandfather).

[Critters2]

6. Thank you.

I knew, but had forgotten Feroze Gandhi was Zoroastrian. Just remembered the controversy over her marrying a non-Hindu.

Thanks for reminding me of the facts.

[JI7]

7. Sanjay Gandhi was the idiot son they were planning to lead the nation before he died in plane crash

he was like George W Bush.

[smitra]

8. That's right...

This guy, Varun, was a few months old when his father died in the crash in June 1980. It is ironic that he should have made comments like these given his heritage. Besides the Zoroastrian/Parsi heritage he inherits from his grandfather, his mother - Maneka Gandhi - also is part-Sikh. He should have been a symbol of India's diversity.

He claims the CDs of his speeches were doctored by the opposition. We shall see...

[xchrom]

9. awesome -- thank you. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Power, power, power.

The rhetoric is directed against Muslims as they are an easy target to garner a political coalition in India. If anything, this is a hackneyed device, famously used against the Armenians by the Ottoman Empire and Hitler against the Jews (and other groups that would collectively threaten his power).

[tomm2thumbs]

11. Video Link showing speech which 'caused' his arrest (( link ))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD1JLlCWl6I

and yes, it is in English but you will have to reallyyyyyy listen to the narrative to get most of what the reporter is saying