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BJP won't disown Varun even if tapes are true: Advani

April 13, 2009 12:29 IST

Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani on Monday said the party will not disown Varun Gandhi if the tapes of his speeches are found to be true, but correct him.

'Even if it turns out to be true, a person making a statement which I don't approve of, does it empower a party to disown the person? It needs to correct him that this is not done,' he told NDTV.

To a question whether the party will disown Varun if his statements turns out to be true, Advani maintained that one cannot run a political party like this.

"If turns out to be true. I will tell him never to do it (again)," he said, adding, "I have known of so many people who have made statements of which I don't approve of. I am not on that account for throwing them out of the party."

Varun is currently lodged in Etah jail for his anti-Muslim speeches at a rally in Pilibhit. He has denied making the remarks and said the CD containing his speeches was doctored

Advani, while clarifying his stand, said: "Till now the situation is that he has denied it. He even said that his voice is not there."

"If in a party comprising millions, a person commits a mistake, on that basis, is he is to be dumped for ever? Is this the right approach? Would you advice anyone else? Have you ever done it," he asked.

He accused the media of applying double standards on 'supposedly communal and secular thinking'.

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