EC cracks down on Anurag Thakur, orders BJP to remove MoS from Delhi star campaigners list

A day after sending show-cause notice to Minister of State of Finance Anurag Thakur for his call to "shoot the traitors" during a poll rally in Delhi, the Election Commission (EC) has on Wednesday ordered BJP to remove them from star campaigners list. The EC had in its notice said that the statement by the minister is prima facie "potential of disturbing communal harmony" and that he had violated the election code and electoral law. Additionally, the EC has also ordered BJP to remove its Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Singh Verma from a list of star campaigners after he made a shocking "protesters will rape all" claim.  

EC issues notice to Union Minister Anurag Thakur over controversial remark

Earlier, the EC had received a report from the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday, which said Thakur chanted "goli maro desh ke gaddaron ko" (shoot down the traitors) several times while addressing a public meeting in Delhi's Rithala Assembly constituency on Monday.

Sharjeel Imam arrested from Bihar's Jehanabad after 4-day hunt, picture accessed

Anurag Thakur's provocative statement

In a shocking video that has surfaced on Monday, Union Finance Minister (MoS) Anurag Thakur was seen chanting inflammatory slogans in a BJP election rally in Delhi. The video shows the Union Minister shouting 'Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maron salon ko' (Shoot all traitors of the country) while campaigning for the BJP candidate for Rithala Assembly constituency - Manish Chaudhari. Incidentally, the Union Minister is part of the Finance team headed by Nirmala Sitharaman which will present the Union Budget on February 1.

READ: BJP MP alleges 'rape' threat from Shaheen Bagh protesters, warns Delhi voters

Parvesh Verma's provocative statement

In a shocking remark on Tuesday, BJP Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Singh Verma contended that the people gathering at the Shaheen Bagh protests had the potential to rape and kill women. Maintaining that both Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, as well as his deputy Manish Sisodia, had extended their support to Shaheen Bagh, he warned the voters in the national capital to make a conscious choice in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Moreover, he stated that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah would be able to “save” the people in the scenario.

"The people of Delhi will have to make an informed decision. These people (protesters in Shaheen Bagh) will enter your house, will kidnap your sisters and daughters and rape and kill them. Today, there is time. Tomorrow, Modiji will not come to save you. Amit Shahji will not come to save you. Today, if people of Delhi wake up, it will be good,” he had said. 

READ: MoS Finance Anurag Thakur raises 'shoot traitors' slogan at Delhi election rally