The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued a notice to Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi on a petition filed by his maternal uncle and Congress candidate from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit constituency V M Singh for allegedly making defamatory remarks against him during the last Lok Sabha elections.
Justice Aruna Suresh has sought a response from Gandhi in the matter by July 30.
In a petition filed by Singh through his counsel Arjun Harkauli, he alleged that Gandhi made remarks linking him to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and working for a separate state of Khalistan.
Singh also accused the politician of insulting farmers and Muslims during the election campaign.
Singh had earlier alleged that Varun's mode of campaigning amounted corrupt practice as per section 123(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act.
The elections in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit constituency had witnessesed a controversy following Gandhi's hate speeches.
He was also arrested under the National Security Act.
Varun made his electoral debut from Pilibhit, which was earlier, represented by his mother Maneka Gandhi.
