The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader Anurag Thakur stoked controversy on Monday at an election rally in Delhi as he is seen in a viral video seen raising slogans, like “Desh ke gaddaro ko” and urging the crowd to complete the slogan with, “goli maaro saalo ko” (Shoot the traitors).
The Union Minister of State for Finance was campaigning for Manish Chaudhary in the Rithala Assembly seat on Monday.
In the video Thakur, sporting a grey kurta and saffron stole, can be seen indulging in hate speech, although the model code of conduct is being implemented by the Election Commission due to the Delhi polls. He can be seen raising slogans, like “Desh ke gaddaro ko” and the crowd completing that with, “goli maaro saalo ko” (Shoot the traitors).
Many BJP members were on the stage with him at that time. Lok Sabha MP Hans Raj Hans is also seen on the stage. Home Minister Amit Shah later came to address the same crowd.
Responding on the incident, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha took to Twitter and questioned PM Narendra Modi’s silence, “This is serious! Mr Prime Minister @narendramodi : What action will you take against him for openly propagating violence ??? Kindly respond on Twitter.”
Another Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi tweeted, “Disappointing to see a young leader like AnuragThakur provoking to make such poisonous slogans during electioneering. This seems to be the modus operandi of the entire party.”
“Mr Narendra Modi: I am awaiting your response, PM Sir. I am assuming if you ignore it , you endorse Anurag Thakur’s speech. Over to you!”
Mr @narendramodi : I am awaiting your response, PM Sir. I am assuming if you ignore it , you endorse Anurag Thakur’s speech.
Over to you! #Reminder1 https://t.co/8MwysIMSLr
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) January 28, 2020
While Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi posted, “When he is done shooting the ‘traitors’, hope the junior Finance Minister of the country will shoot the reasons for the economic slump through the budget. Or will the country will continue to witness a slowdown?”
Earlier, the BJP candidate from Model Town constituency, Kapil Mishra was banned by the Election Commission on Saturday from campaigning for 48 hrs on January 25.
The Election Commission’s decision came against Mishra’s controversial statements in which he compared the February 8 Assembly Election as India vs Pakistan contest and referred Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh as “mini-Pakistan”.
On Thursday, Kapil Mishra, BJP’s Model Town candidate, had in a tweet said that February 8 polls will be a “match between India and Pakistan”.
He further, in another tweet, went on to describe the Shaheen Bagh protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as “mini Pakistans” being created in Delhi.
“AAP and Congress have created these mini-Pakistans, like the one in Shaheen Bagh. They will get the answer from India on February 8. Whenever seditious people create a Pakistan in India, they will come face-to-face with patriotic Indians,” Mishra ranted.
The Delhi Assembly Election will be a triangular fight involving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.
Polling will be held on February 8 and the results declared on February 11.