Varun Gandhi sent to judicial custody till Monday

Bharatiya Janata Party's saffron soldier Varun Gandhi has been arrested and sent to judicial custody till Monday. So Varun's political gambit to play a Hindutva martyr seems to have paid off.

Varun earlier filed an application before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Pilibhit to surrender.

Speaking to mediapersons after filing his surrender plea, Varun said he believes in his principles and is ready to go to jail.

"If by going to jail, people get strength to standup for their rights, I am ready to go to jail," Varun said.

"I believe in my principles and am willing to fight for them. I have full faith in the law and judiciary," he added.

Meanwhile, the BJP has finally come out in the open on Varun Gandhi's Pilibhit agenda, as the leader reached his constituency.

BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj has said that Varun is responding as true political worker of the party.

Reacting to the showdown in Pilibhit, he said, "People in and outside Pilibhit are responding to the situation."

Earlier Senior leader and in-charge of the BJP's UP campaign Kalraj Mishra told NDTV that Varun will indeed court arrest.

After maintaining silence on reports of Varun's gameplan to play victim, the party on Saturday sent Kalraj Mishra to Pilibhit to be with Varun when he courts arrest.

So it's now clear that Varun has emerged as the BJP's new trump card.

As the BJP's saffron soldier Varun Gandhi heads for Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, the atmosphere in the area is charged.

Hundreds of supporters have been gathering in Pilibhit since early Saturday morning and there are reports coming in that in some places in the district, there have been some minor clashes between BJP workers and police. The administration has now imposed section 144 in the entire district, which bans the gathering of more than four people.

This is Varun's first visit to Pilibhit after the controversy over his hate speech erupted.

The visit seems to have been carefully planned with the party's rank and file turning up in large numbers to welcome their new saffron hero. The BJP while distancing itself from his hate speech has backed him completely.

It has however refrained from coming out openly in favour of his Pilibhit agenda. The party reportedly does not want Varun to do anything that would make Pilibhit a flashpoint. This could be the reason why senior leader and in-charge for UP Kalraj Mishra is accompanying Varun.

Varun left New Delhi at the crack of dawn and is expected to court arrest as he withdrew his anticipatory bail application on Saturday. But the big question is - will his gambit to become a Hindutva martyr pay off?

What could play spoiler for Varun is UP Chief Minister Mayawati. The UP Chief Minister reportedly does not want him to be arrested, as it will be playing right into his game plan to win votes by projecting himself as a victim.

To preempt any trouble, Provincial Armed Constabulary jawans staged a flag march in Pilibhit on Saturday evening.