EC issues show-cause notice to Anurag Thakur over controversial remarks

New Delhi, January 28

The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Union Minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur over his alleged provocative slogan at an election rally here, sources in the poll panel said.

He has been given time till 12 noon on January 30 to respond to the notice.

The notice was issued after the Delhi CEO on Tuesday submitted a report to the EC on the “provocative” language used by Thakur while canvassing for a party candidate contesting the Delhi Assembly polls in Rithala.

During the election rally on Monday, the BJP leader had egged on the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan—“shoot the traitors”—after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters.

Earlier, the Delhi CEO Office submitted reports to the Election Commission on "provocative" language used by BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma while canvassing for party candidates in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls, officials said.

West Delhi's BJP MP Parvesh Verma's on Tuesday said what happened in Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandits could happen in Delhi, warning that lakhs of anti-CAA protesters in Shaheen Bagh could enter homes to kill and rape women.

"The Office of the Delhi CEO has submitted its report to the EC, on the suspected violation of Model Code of Conduct by Anurag Thakur, MP and BJP's star campaigner, for using provocative slogans," a senior official of the Delhi CEO office said.

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"A report has also been sent in connection with another star campaigner of BJP for Delhi Elections, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma regarding Shaheen Bagh protests and his tweet regarding religious places," the official said.

Delhi Congress approached the Election Commission on Tuesday, urging it to ban BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for making "provocative statements to incite communal violence" ahead of polls in the national capital.

"BJP's star campaigners Parvesh Verma and Anurag Thakur have used objectionable language. Top BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, are going around the lanes and bylanes of Delhi, making provocative statements to polarise the atmosphere and incite communal violence. The BJP is doing so out of frustration," senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said.

The Election Commission has promised us that it won't let it happen, Maken said, adding they have called a meeting of all senior poll and police officials on January 31.

The EC has sought a report from the Chief Electoral Officer on Thakur and Verma's remarks and because they are "star campaigners", the Delhi CEO cannot issue them a notice. Only the Election Commission of India can do so, he said.

"The EC has accepted that they have made provocative statements and we have demanded that they be banned from campaigning," Maken added.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has written to the Chief Election Commissioner complaining against violation of the model code of conduct by Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur over his "shoot the traitor" remark here on Monday.

In the letter, written on Monday and received by the Election Commissioner's office on Tuesday, the AAP said such speech "is blatant violation" of the poll code. "This is a fit case for the ECI to not only to take appropriate action but also lodge an FIR with the police against Thakur," it said. — Agencies 

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