Karnataka BJP minister C T Ravi. (Source: Facebook) Karnataka BJP minister C T Ravi. (Source: Facebook)

Defending BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s “desh ke gaddaron ko” remark at an election rally in Delhi, Karnataka Minister CT Ravi Tuesday said, “anti-nationals should get bullet, not biryani”.

Ravi, who is Karnataka’s tourism minister, said people raising objections to Anurag Thakur’s remark were those who “opposed death to terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon, supported tukde tukde gang and spread lies against Citizenship Amendment Act”.

Tweeting with the hashtag ‘IStandWithAnuragThakur’, the BJP MLA said, “Anti-nationals should get bullet not biryani”.

Known for provocative speeches, CT Ravi had last month courted controversy after he said a “Godhra-like situation” would arise if the majority in the state “loses patience”, referring to the protests against the new Citizenship law.

Addressing a rally in Delhi’s Rithala, Minister of State (Finance) Anurag Thakur repeatedly chanted “desh ke gaddaron ko” and had people responding with “goli maaro saalon ko”. On Tuesday, another BJP MP Parvesh Verma stoked a controversy by saying protesters at Shaheen Bagh “can enter homes and rape our sisters and daughters”.

The Election Commission of India (EC) will send showcause notices to both the BJP MPs for their “provocative” remarks after receiving reports from the Delhi CEO Office on Tuesday.

Those attacking Union MoS @ianuragthakur for His statement against Traitors are the ones who ✓ Opposed death to Terrorists Ajmal Kasab & Yakub Memon

✓ Supported Tukde Tukde Gang

✓ Spread lies against #CAA Anti-Nationals should get Bullet not Biryani.#IStandWithAnuragThakur — C T Ravi 🇮🇳 ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) January 28, 2020

Speaking to The Indian Express, Thakur had said he merely asked people what should be done with traitors of the country. “I just wanted people to say what is to be done with traitors of the country. It could have evoked a response like ‘vote them out’ or ‘throw them out’. But it was the people who reacted so,” he said.

The provocative speeches by some BJP leaders reflect the party’s increasing confidence that it will be able to consolidate Hindu votes in its favour in the run-up to the February 8 Delhi polls.

Earlier, BJP’s Model Town candidate Kapil Mishra was banned from campaigning for 48 hours by the EC over a tweet in which he had called the February 8 polls a contest between India and Pakistan.

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