Varun Gandhi must resign on moral grounds, says JD-U

The Janata Dal-United (JDU) on Friday demanded the resignation of BJP MP Varun Gandhi over allegations that he was "honey trapped and compromised" by defence middleman Abhishek Verma.

"Varun Gandhi should resign from Lok Sabha on moral grounds," JD-U said in an official statement on twitter.

"Even Advaniji had resigned his seat when he faced accusation in hawala case," it added, a day after Swaraj Abhiyan leaders released a letter written by US-based lawyer C Edmonds Allen to the PMO alleging that Gandhi was "honey trapped" into leaking defence secrets.

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for "maintaining double standards" over the issue of nationalism, the JD-U said, "Is this the new model of BJP, where top secret information on country's defence is exchanged for sexual favours?"

"What kind of nationalism is this where BJP leader Varun Gandhi is exchanging top secret information for sexual favours? Is it nationalism?" it questioned.

Targetting Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, JDU said, "BJP preaches to all about Bhartiya sanskriti (Indian culture), which is imparted within family first."

"Does Maneka Gandhi approve this conduct of her son?" it asked. "Does Maneka Gandhiji endorse Varun Gandhi's conduct in exchanging top secret information for sex?" it wondered.

Gandhi, Lok Sabha member from Sultanpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, has denied the allegations as baseless.

"What kind of nationalism is this where BJP leader Varun Gandhi is exchanging top secret information for sexual favours?”