INDIAN politician and BJP MP Varun Gandhi described himself as a 'centre-left thinking person' in his new book and claimed that his writings prove the 'consistently progressive liberal record' of himself.
In his recently launched book- India, Tomorrow: Conversations with the Next Generation of Political Leaders-Gandhi reveals that he is not a 'rightwing person by nature'.
He terms Britain's Jeremy Corbyn and US senator Bernie Sanders as his political inspirations. These leaders are known for advocating left economic and social policies.
The book contains interviews of 20 of the country's most prominent next-generation politicians.
"I am a centre-left thinking person. I am not a right-wing person by nature. If you have read all my writings, for the last 10 years I have had a consistently progressive liberal record," said Gandhi, in an interview to the authors Pradeep Chhibber and Harsh Shah.
"I have always taken stands that are symptomatic of some desire for progressive change. I get about 10 times more support from the liberals than I get from the right-wingers. I get knocked by the right-wingers many times but I never get knocked by the liberals ever."
The Gandhi-Nehru scion joined BJP, the ruling party in India, in 2004. He is the son of the late Sanjay Gandhi and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi.
He fought and won his first election in 2009 from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, the same seat he represents now.
Recently he said that he will introduce a private member's bill to promote organ donation from cadavers or a person who has been declared dead in the Indian parliament.
The 40-year-old politician said that BJP workers are very committed, hard-working, middle class, humble, salt of earth people who mean well for this country.
"When I joined the BJP, after a few years I realised one very good thing about it was that there was a decentralisation of power. I think centralised power in any form is never a great thing," he said.
"So I felt here was a party where even if you fell out with one leader you could survive and succeed because there would be four other people to see goodness and talent and worth in you. That is one thing that encouraged me as a young person."
Gandhi's syndicated column reaches a subscriber base of over 200 million through 17 newspapers, covering many different languages.
In 2018, he authored a book on rural distress-Rural Manifesto: Realizing India's Future Through Her Villages. He has also written two volumes of poetry-The Otherness of Self" (2000) and Stillness: Poems(2015).
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)