BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma have been served notice by the Election Commission over their inflammatory speeches. (File) BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma have been served notice by the Election Commission over their inflammatory speeches. (File)

The Election Commission Wednesday ordered the removal of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and MP Parvesh Verma as BJP’s star campaigners for violating the model code of conduct for Delhi Assembly elections. The move by the polling body comes after it issued a showcause notice to the two BJP leaders.

Thakur was issued the notice on Tuesday after he chanted “desh ke gaddaro ko” at a party rally in New Delhi. Meanwhile, EC issued the showcause notice to Verma today for his alleged comments that protesters at Shaheen Bagh “can enter homes and rape our sisters are daughters”.

The polling body said, “Election Commission has ordered the removal of Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh from the list of star campaigners of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the general elections to the Legislative Assembly of the NCT of Delhi with immediate effect and until further orders.”

While issuing the showcause notice, the EC had cited violation of provisions under the Model Code of Conduct by Thakur as his statements have the “potential of disturbing communal harmony and aggravating the existing difference between social and religious communities”, and had given him time till 12 noon on January 30 to file his reply.

“The Commission has received a report from Chief Electoral Office, NCT of Delhi vide his letter dated 28th January 2020 that you have made the following statements after chanting ‘Desh ke gaddaro ko’ and followed by response of the crowd ‘Goli maro saalo ko’ many times, while addressing a public meeting on 27th January 2020…you also made certain other objectionable statement in the meeting,” the EC notice read.

Earlier this week on Monday, Thakur had told The Indian Express that he had merely asked people what should be done with traitors of this country.

Delhi Congress had approached the EC, urging it to ban the BJP leaders on grounds of making “provocative statements to incite commmunal violence” ahead of polls in the national capital.

Delhi will go to polls on February 8 and the results will be declared on February 11, 2020.

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