New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said that the BJP will study the Election Commission’s orders regarding party leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, and would petition the poll panel if required.
“We will study (the order) and if necessary, present a letter and application to the Election Commission. BJP is putting up a balanced campaign with positivity, we are a thinking party. I will give a comment after studying the order,” he said while addressing a press conference here.
Earlier today, the Election Commission ordered the removal of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma from the list of star campaigners for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the legislative assembly elections in Delhi with immediate effect.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi said in a report to the ECI on Tuesday that Thakur had raised the slogan ‘Desh Ke Gaddaro Ko, Goli Maaro Saalo Ko’ (shoot the traitors) several times while addressing a public meeting in Rithala on January 27.
The Election Commission issued a show-cause notice to Thakur and has sought a reply by 12 pm on January 30.
Verma had in a controversial statement 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. There is time today, Modi ji and Amit Shah won’t come to save you tomorrow…”
Taking cognizance of the Model Code of Conduct violations, the poll panel on Wednesday ordered the removal of Thakur and Verma from BJP’s star campaigners list.
The statements of both the BJP leaders evoked sharp reactions from several quarters.
The voting for the Delhi Assembly is scheduled to take place on February 8. The counting will be done on February 11.