Had no important info, was not blackmailed, says Varun

BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday rejected as "false and frivolous" allegations that he was "honey trapped and compromised" by defence middleman Abhishek Verma and had leaked defence secrets. "I would like to point out the false and frivolous nature of the charges, and the impossibility of these allegations," Gandhi said in a detailed statement addressed to "my fellow countrymen".

Varun said while he was member of both the Defence Standing Committee and Defence Consultative Committee from 2009, he never attended a single meeting of the Defence Consultative Committee and very few of the meetings of the Defence Standing Committee. "Clearly I was neither actively seeking out nor passing on any information. Had there been any hidden agenda or motivation as alleged in the letter, it would have been reflected in my attendance," he said.

Varun also clarified that as a first-time opposition MP, he could not and did not have access to any sensitive defence information. "So the question of being allegedly coerced into revealing anything does not even arise," he said.

He said the case has been extensively investigated by both the CBI and the ED over several years on the basis of which chargesheets have already been filed. "In none of the proceedings has my name ever cropped up, nor has there been any indication of my involvement in any capacity whatsoever. Had the top investigative agencies even the least suspicion or proof of any involvement on my part in all these years, it would surely have been reported by now," Varun said in the statement.

The BJP leader also said that he will take legal action against those who had deliberately sought to tarnish his reputation. "My family and I have been deeply traumatised by these lies. I am taking legal recourse against those who have deliberately sought to tarnish my reputation and public standing," he said.