EC notice to Thakur over ‘shoot traitors’ slogan, examines charge against Verma
nNEWDELHI: The Election Commission (EC) Tuesday served a notice to BJP leader and Union minister of state for finance Anurag Thakur for the “provocative slogans” while campaigning.
The EC is likely to issue a show cause notice to West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma for alleged breach of law for his remarks about the ongoing sit-in at Shaheen Bagh, and a tweet regarding a religious group.
The statements made by Thakur are a violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) as well as the provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951, the commission in its notice said.
It has sought an explanation from Thakur, BJP’S star campaigner, for allegedly inciting a crowd at an election rally in Delhi to say “goli maaro” (shoot the traitors), and asked him to respond by Thursday.
“... the Commission is, prima facie, of the view that by making the aforesaid statements which have the potential of disturbing communal harmony and aggravating the existing differences between social and religious communities,” read the ECI order served to Thakur.
Thakur was campaigning in Rithala when, in a widely shared video, he was seen purportedly prompting the crowd, saying “desh ke gaddaron ko... (traitors of the country...),” to which the crowd responded with “goli maaron … (shoot them...)”
The EC took action after it received a report from the CEO.
In the case of star campaigners, the CEO can’t issue notices and, hence, EC has to take a call. The report on Verma’s statements was sent to the EC on Tuesday evening.
An election officer said the EC will likely issue a notice to Verma, another BJP star campaigner.
Verma, during an election rally in Vikaspuri Tuesday morning, announced that Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area will be cleared of protesters agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) within an hour if his party came to power in Delhi.
Also, Verma, in an interview to ANI, said, “Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think and take a decision. They will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them.”
A senior officer in the state election office said, “We had examined the video of the speech by Thakur and it was found to be authentic. Our surveillance teams are on the ground monitoring rallies. Similarly, in the case of Verma, the interview he gave to a news agency and his tweet were examined. The remarks by both were found to be provocative in nature.”
The state election office has taken suo motu cognisance of the remarks made by the MPS.