EC should take action against Thakur for instigating people: Cong

The Congress demanded on Monday that the Election Commission (EC) take action against Union minister Anurag Thakur for allegedly instigating the crowd at a poll rally here by raising indecent slogans.

"The EC must take immediate action against the minister for instigating violence and take appropriate measures," Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee said.

"As the economy is going downhill, unemployment is at record levels and the Modi government does not have anything to showcase, the BJP is back to its favourite game of polarisation," she added.

Triggering a row, Thakur egged on the participants in the election rally to raise an incendiary slogan that says "traitors should be shot at", after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters. At the poll rally in Delhi's Rithala, the Union minister of state for finance shouted "desh ke gaddaron ko", to which the crowd responded, saying "goli maro sa*** ko" (shoot down the traitors).

"What could be more outrageous, provoking and scary than a crowd chanting 'goli maro sa*** ko' at the provocation of none less than a Union minister? Anurag Thakur seems to be following the footsteps of his esteemed leaders, who identify crowds on the basis of the clothes they wear," Mukherjee said.

Any responsible citizen of this country, let alone a minister, would deter crowds from raising such slogans and provoking violence against anyone who was opposed to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she added. The head of the Delhi Congress campaign committee, Kirti Azad, also hit out at the saffron party, saying its leaders were the "real traitors" as they were working to "destroy" peace and amity.

Addressing the rally in support of Manish Chaudhary, the BJP candidate from Rithala in the February 8 Delhi Assembly polls, Thakur raised the pitch of nationalism as he linked opposition parties with the anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh and alleged anti-India slogans, and then asked the crowd to raise the controversial slogan.