I was set up in race row, says Gandhi descendant

The great-grandson of India's first prime minister spoke out today after being charged with inciting hatred against Muslims during a speech at an election rally.

Varun Gandhi, a descendant of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, issued a clarification saying the recording of his speech had been tampered with and refused to apologise for his remarks.

Mr Gandhi, 29, a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said: "I am proud of my faith and not apologetic of it. I am a Gandhi, a Hindu and an Indian in equal measure. I am a victim of political conspiracy."

"Nothing I have said was intended to incite anyone. There is no question of my having any ill feeling towards any community.

"My attempt is to instill confidence in a community which feels it is under siege in their own country," he told the press.

Mr Gandhi claimed the CD which included the controversial speech had been tampered with. "Those are not my words, that is not my voice. I am pro-India, not anti-anybody."

In another blow to him his party has decided to distance itself from the controversy.

Balasubramanyam Kamarsu, co-convenor of the opposition BJP's media office, told the Press Association: "The BJP completely disassociates itself from Varun Gandhi's speech. They are his individual comments and we have nothing to do with it."

A senior BJP leader, Mukhtar Abbar Naqvi, said: "This could be the culture in the Congress, which functions on the basis of divide and rule. The Congress has always encouraged communalism in the name of secularism.

"The BJP does not approve of this. We don't agree with what Varun has said. It is not our ideology."

In his speech, Mr Gandhi reportedly made connections between an opposition leader and Osama bin Laden.

"When my cousin, who is seven years old, saw the photo of Samajwadi Party's candidate, she said 'I did not know that Osama bin Laden is fighting from your constituency'."

"If anyone raises a finger towards Hindus, or if someone thinks that Hindus are weak and leaderless, if someone thinks that these leaders lick our boots for our votes, if anyone raises a finger towards Hindus, then I swear on the Gita that I will cut that hand," he said in his controversial speech.

Earlier, the Election Commission directed the District Magistrate to file a criminal case against Mr Gandhi according to the election code.

The former election commissioner T S Krishnamurthy told news channel NDTV that action could be taken against Mr Gandhi after examining his speech under electoral offences.

If convicted, Mr Gandhi could be disqualified from running for office and imprisoned for up to five years.

The powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has produced three prime ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru being the first, more than six decades and has long promoted a secular government and tolerance for religious minorities.

The Nehru-Gandhi family has dominated the governing Congress Party that has ruled India for 47 out of the 61 years since it gained independence from Britain.

Mr Gandhi joined to BJP, India's main opposition party, in 2004.