BJP leader Varun Gandhi on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court challenging invoking of National Security Act (NSA) against him by Uttar Pradesh government for allegedly inciting communal tension.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and Sandeep Kapoor appeared on behalf of Varun before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and sought permission to file the petition.

The Bench allowed their plea that the petition be included in the mentioning list for tomorrow.

The Uttar Pradesh government had booked Varun under the National Security Act on Sunday for the hate speeches.

Gandhi was shifted last night under heavy security from the district prison here, official sources said.

Meanwhile, seeking to make Varun Gandhi's detention under NSA a major poll issue, BJP has constituted a panel led by its former president M Venkaiah Naidu to assess the situation on the ground and report back to its top leadership.

A special meeting of the office bearers has also been convened on Friday to discuss the situation.

According to sources, Singh has deputed Naidu and UP BJP chief Ramapathi Tripathi to visit Gandhi in Etah jail tomorrow.

Naidu and Tripathi would be presenting a detailed report on the situation after talking to Gandhi and the local leadership, sources added.

The report would be discussed at a meeting of the office bearers of the party convened by Singh on Friday.

"The meeting would chalk out the future strategy of the party vis-a-vis Varun Gandhi. It is also aimed at presenting a uniform view among the top leadership on the issue," a senior party leader told PTI.

"I can only say that the UPA and Mayawati government should stop playing with fire. Imposing NSA while the charges have been denied by Varun Gandhi himself is unjustified. The veracity of the tapes should be established," party chief Rajnath Singh told reporters in Raipur today.

“I can only say at this point of time that all "options are open for the party. The government should make proper arrangement for ensuring security of Varun Gandhi," Singh said declining to comment whether the party would provide legal support.

The BJP candidate from Pilibhit, booked under National Security Act for his hate speeches, has been shifted to a high-security Etah jail following intelligence inputs that underworld don Chota Shakeel was hatching a conspiracy to kill him.

No threat to Varun: UP Govt

Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday refuted media reports that underworld don Chota Shakeel was plotting to kill Varun Gandhi, booked under the stringent National security act, saying the BJP leader was transferred to high-security Etah jail only to ensure peaceful elections.

"News reports appearing in a section of media today is far from truth," Director General of Police Vikram Singh told reporters here while reacting to reports in this regard.

Singh said the state government had sought the Election Commission's permission to transfer Gandhi, the BJP candidate from Pilibhit, to Etah jail to ensure peaceful conduct of elections and to maintain public order in the constituency.

"On the basis of permission given by the EC, Varun was transferred to Etah jail last night," said Singh, who was flanked by principal secretary home Fateh Bahadur Singh.

 According to official sources, Intelligence agencies had informed the state government a week ago about an intercepted telephonic conversation between Pakistan-based Shakeel and his key shooter Rashid.

It indicated a plot to kill 29-year-old Gandhi, the day he came to surrender at a Pilibhit Court.

Rashid was arrested in Karnataka last week after intelligence agencies intercepted the telephonic conversation between Shakeel and his aides between March 15-21, the sources said.