On 28 January, the Election Commission had ordered the BJP government to drop Union minister Anurag Thakur and West Delhi lawmaker Parvesh Verma, from the list of star campaigners in Delhi elections, after they were accused of making objectionable comments while campaigning during the election rallies.
As per sources, Parvesh Verma during the election rallies had allegedly stated “what happened in Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandits could happen in Delhi,” and that the protesters at Shaheen Bagh ‘will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters.’ He further claimed that this can be prevented if the BJP is elected in the February polls. He stated that ‘There’s time today. Modi-Ji and Amit Shah won’t come to save you tomorrow.’
On the other hand, Anurag Thakur while campaigning for the party’s Rithala candidate, Manish Chaudhary, Thakur was heard provoking the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan “traitors should be shot” referring to the anti-CAA protesters.
However, a BJP spokesperson of Delhi unit and the son of former Chief Minister – Madan Lal Khurana Harish Khurana, defended Thakur saying that it was the crowd that uttered the inciteful words and not him.
“If you see the video, Thakur did not even say the words. So, in a way, he should not be held responsible. The slogan was not invented by him; it has lasted for years,” stated Khurana.
Additionally, a BJP candidate Kapil Mishra was also heard spreading hateful speeches during the election rallies, after which the election commission gagged him for 48 hours and had also registered an FIR against him.
“The EC has ordered the removal of Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma from the list of star campaigners of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the general elections to the Legislative Assembly of the NCT of Delhi with immediate effect and until further orders,” stated the order issued by the poll body.
Both of them were served notice and were directed to respond by noon on 30 January, failing which the Election Commission would decide without any further reference.
