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NEW DELHI - India's election authorities have reprimanded the grandson of former premier Indira Gandhi for making "highly derogatory" remarks against Muslims while on the campaign trail.
Varun Ghandi has been at the centre of a political storm since recordings appeared of his speech to Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters during which he appeared to single Muslims out for criticism.
The election commission said late Sunday it "condemned and censured" Varun Gandhi and urged the BJP to drop him as a candidate for the elections, which start on April 16.
Muslims make up India's largest minority community, and relations with majority Hindus have been troubled and often violent since the country secured independence from Britain in 1947.
Varun is the son of Indira's second child Sanjay, a side of the family that was disowned by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
His aunt, Sonia Gandhi, widow of Indira's eldest son Rajiv, heads the ruling Congress Party and is considered the torch bearer of the charismatic family.
Footage aired by the NDTV news channel last week showed Varun saying Muslims "have scary names" and that "if you meet them at night you will be scared".
The election watchdog dismissed Varun's claims that the recordings had been tampered with.
A court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to Varun, in regards to the case of the alleged anti-Muslim speeches.
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