Varun Gandhi denies allegations of leaking defence secrets in 2-page letter

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi released a letter on Saturday denying accusations that he leaked defence secrets after being honey-trapped.

Varun Gandhi wrote that he never had access to the information that US-based whistleblower Edmonds Allen has accused him of leaking. He claims that a first-time opposition MP is never privy to any defence secrets.

Allen had said that Gandhi was "blackmailed" to reveal the information from Defence Consultative Committee, of which he is a member, with photographs of him with escorts.

"The fact is that while I was a member of both the Defence Standing Committee and the Defence Consultative Committee from 2009, the records will confirm that I never attended a single meeting of the Defence Consultative Committee and very few of the Standing Committee. Clearly, I was neither actively seeking out nor passing on any information. Had there been any hidden agenda or motivation as alleged in the letter (Allen's) it would have been reflected in my attendance," Varun Gandhi wrote.

"In any case as any Parliamentarian well know, and as per established parliamentary procedure, there is never 'confidential or top secret' information accessible to such parliamentary panels," he added.

Varun Gandhi acknowledges knowing Abhishek Verma, son of MPs Veena and Shrikant Verma, while he was in college in the UK. However, he added that he had no contact with the arms dealer who is being investigated for Naval War Room leak case and does not know who Allen is.

In the aftermath of the public embarrassment for BJP, the party has banned the use of mobile phones in Cabinet meetings as a security measure. Earlier, it was allowed to keep phones on silent during such meetings.