The Election Commision on Wednesday ordered the removal of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Member of Parliament Parvesh Verma from BJP’s list of star campaigners for Delhi polls over their controversial and communally sensitive remarks.
However, this order doesn’t mean Thakur and Verma can’t campaign in the assembly elections. If Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma still participate in any campaign, the expenditure incurred shall be borne by the candidate they are campaigning for.
According to section 77(1)(a) Representation of the People Act, 1951, the expenditure incurred by star campaigners of a political party on account of travel by air or by any other means of transport for campaigning shall not be included in the candidate’s election expenditure.
“Election Commission has ordered the removal of Sh. Anurag Thakur and Sh. Parvesh Sahib Singh from the list of star campaigners of Bhartiya Janta Party for the general elections to the Legislative Assembly of the NCT of Delhi with immediate effect and until further orders,” the statement issued by election commission read.
The Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur encouraged his audience to raise the slogan, ‘desh ke gaddaron ko…’ in a video widely circulated on social media. Thakur was addressing the election meeting in support of BJP candidate from Rithala, Manish Chaudhary.
The slogan is being used by a lot of BJP leaders in pro-CAA rallies across the country. BJP leader Kapil Mishra raised the slogan in a pro-CAA rally in Delhi. The slogan was also heard at the JNU campus when students and faculty members were attacked by a masked mob earlier this month.
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi on Tuesday had sought a report from the North West district’s election officer over Union Minister Anurag Thakur controversial slogan at an election meeting in Delhi’s North West District.
Whereas, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, an MP from West Delhi, told in an interview to news agency ANI , that “they (Shaheen Bagh protesters) will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters”.
“Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think and take a decision. They’ll enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, and kill them. There’s time today, Modi ji and Amit Shah won’t come to save you tomorrow…”, the BJP MP had said.