72 hrs campaign ban for Thakur, 96 hrs for Verma

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) of India on Thursday said BJP

leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma were barred from campaigning in the run-up to the Delhi assembly polls for 72 hours and 96 hours respectively. As per the EC orders on Thursday, its earlier order to remove the two

leaders’’ names from the list of BJP star campaigners ahead of the February 8 polls with immediate effect shall also remain in force.

The ban, effective from 5 pm on Thursday, comes in the wake of inflammatory statements by Union Minister of State Anurag Thakur and Member of Parliament Parvesh Verma during the course of campaigning. The orders were issued after the commission studied their responses to show-cause notices issued to them on January 28. The EC refused to consider their requests for personal hearing on the matter.

On other hand, the Election Commission also issued a show cause notice to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal for promising Mohalla Clinics on court premises in the city at a time when the Model Code of Conduct was in place.

Moreover, following a complaint from the AAP, the ECI has now issued a second show-cause notice to Verma, this time for his comments on television, calling CM Kejriwal a “terrorist”. The ECI has said that Verma’s comments were in violation of clause (2) of Parti of the Model Code of Conduct and has asked him to explain himself on or before 5 PM today (Friday).