1 Jul 2009, 1921 hrs IST

ALLAHABAD, India: A petition was on Wednesday filed in the Allahabad High Court challenging the election of Varun Gandhi from Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat for allegedly seeking votes by spreading hatred against members of a particular community.

The election petition has been filed by V M Singh, the Congress candidate from Pilibhit, who is also the maternal uncle of Varun Gandhi.

According to Singh's advocate and chairman of UPCC legal cell U N Sharma, it has been submitted in the petition that Varun "had tried to seek votes by spreading hatred against members of a particular community which amounted to corrupt practice as defined under Section 123 (3) of the Representation of People Act".

Moreover, the petition alleged that the "date and time" of filing of nominations mentioned in Gandhi's papers "coincided with a rally addressed by him in Bareilly which amounted to providing false information in the affidavits".

A plea has, hence, been made to declare the elections as null and void, Sharma added.

Varun, who made his electoral debut from the seat which was earlier represented by his mother Maneka, was in the eye of the storm for allegedly making hate speeches during an election rally in Pilibhit and was held under the National Security Act.

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