BJP MP Varun Gandhi in Vadodara on Monday. (Bhupendra Rana) BJP MP Varun Gandhi in Vadodara on Monday. (Bhupendra Rana)

Referring to the dynastic politics, BJP MP from Sultanpur Varun Gandhi on Monday said that his “Gandhi” surname helped him to climb the ladders in politics.

“Today, let’s be very honest about this. If my last name were not Gandhi, would I have become an MP at (the age of) 29? I would have not. Would I have become a general secretary (of the BJP) at 32? Probably not. The fact is that we are living in an unequal country and we are beneficiaries of an unequal system. When we talk about young MPs, you just decide the name, A to Z, everybody comes from a political family,” Varun, who is son of Union minister Maneka Gandhi and late Sanjay Gandhi, son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, said while addressing college students here.

While he urged youths to bring about a change in the country, the BJP leader said, “The young people sitting right here are probably more talented and intellectual than I am. But today if you want to join the political process, you will burn yourself trying to achieve something and it will take at least 25 to 30 years to be at such a position, and by then you will be tired.”

Calling India a country full of opportunities as well as challenges, he urged youths to go beyond the responsibility of casting votes to make a difference in the country.

Stating that 10 per cent of Indians occupy 91 per cent of the country’s assets, Varun Gandhi wondered how there can be no disparity. “Even Member of Parliament who disclosed assets of over Rs 25 crore, I wrote a letter to each of them asking them to give up their salaries, but they refused to do so. I have been a Member of Parliament since 2009, but I haven’t withdrawn my salary even once. The salary straightaway goes to organisations which needs funds,” he said.

He said India is still battling the evils of corruption as “the flow of information in not transparent in our country”. “Disseminating information through transparent means is the solution to corruption,” he added.

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