Today, BJP Lok Sabha candidate Varun Gandhi got arrested and has now been sent to judicial custody till Monday after moving a surrender plea in Pilibhit court, where a case has been filed against him for his anti communal speech. According to BJP leader Kalraj Misra, the Chief Judicial Magistrate sent Varun Gandhi to judicial custody until the next hearing on Monday.

Around 50 BJP workers and saffron activists were detained after they tried to block roads to prevent the movement of police leading to a clash between the two sides. Varun Gandhi, addressed the media outside the court, saying that he was "ready to go to jail" for the people of Uttar Pradesh and the nation. Claiming that he was a victim of political conspiracy, Varun said, “This is a conspiracy in which I have been framed. I have full faith in the law and in the judiciary. I believe in my principles and I am willing to fight for them... I am ready to go to jail”.

Dressed in a red-colored kurta, 29-year-old Varun was greeted by large number of BJP supporters and saffron activists. "The only objective of my coming here is to strengthen my people, my society and the whole country.....I will not step back, if by my going to jail others are encouraged to stand by their principles, to fight by their principles," he said to people raising slogans in his support. 

According to Congress spokesperson, Kapil Sibal, LK Advani is behind Varun’s arrest drama. The alienated Nehru-Gandhi scion, who is making an electoral debut from Pilibhit, came in the attention after his alleged anti-communal speeches in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit constituency. On the direction of election authorities, an FIR was lodged against Varun in Pilibhit, after CDs containing his anti-Muslim speeches were surfaced. On 27 March, Varun's anticipatory bail granted by the Delhi High Court also expired. Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had rejected the bail appeal of the BJP leader and this was mentioned by his lawyer as the reason for withdrawing the bail plea from the Delhi High Court.