The great-grandson of India's first prime minister was arrested today as police investigated charges against him of making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims ahead of next month's national elections.
A political furore erupted after Varun Gandhi, 29, was filmed at two political rallies earlier this month comparing a rival Muslim politician to Osama bin Laden and threatening to cut the throats of Muslims. Gandhi belongs to the powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has produced three prime ministers over six decades and has long promoted a secular government and tolerance for religious minorities. He is a member of the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party, which has refused to drop him as a candidate.
Gandhi drove today through the streets of Pilibhit, a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh about 135 miles east of New Delhi. He is seeking a parliamentary seat in the town -- a constituency once held by his mother, Maneka Gandhi -- and was accompanied by thousands of supporters waving saffron Hindu flags.
The chief judicial magistrate, Nitin Kumar, said Gandhi turned himself in at the court where he will remain until Monday, when he can seek release on bail.
If convicted, Gandhi could be disqualified from running for office and imprisoned for up to three years.
On 17 March, India's election commission directed officials in Uttar Pradesh state to file a criminal case against Gandhi for promoting hatred.
Gandhi, a descendant of the former prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, denied making the comments, saying the video had been tampered with. "I am innocent. I have been falsely implicated in a conspiracy," he told reporters today.
The commission said it was "fully convinced and satisfied" that the video "has not been tampered with, doctored or morphed".
The footage has been broadcast repeatedly on Indian television channels in the last fortnight. "All the Hindus stay on this side and send the others to Pakistan," he says in the video. "This is the lotus hand," he says, referring to the symbol of his party. "It will cut their throats after elections." 
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