"On February 11, Shaheen Bagh Will...": BJP MP Anurag Thakur's Poll Prediction

In a caustic attack on the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who was banned by the Election Commission for 72-hours for hate speech at a Delhi rally last month, said on Tuesday that Shaheen Bagh - the epicenter of the CAA agitation in Delhi - would get cleared when the assembly polls results come in favour of the BJP on February 11.

"Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal) and Deputy Chief Minister (Manish Sisodia) completely support Shaheen Bagh. When people of Delhi will vote for lotus (the BJP's symbol), I assure you, as the results come in on February 11, Shaheen Bagh too will start getting cleared (11 February ko nateeje aate-aate hi Shaheen Bagh bhi saaf hona shuru ho jaayega, iska mein aapko vishwaas dilata hun)," he was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

Anurag Thakur further said Delhi voters won't forget the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's "sins".

"We will work for Delhi's development. AAP ke paap ab Dilli nahi karegi maaf (AAP's sins will not be forgiven by Delhi). AAP will be wiped off from Delhi," he added.

In a widely-shared video, Mr Thakur, who was campaigning for BJP candidate Manish Chaudhary last month, was seen chanting "desh ke gaddaron ko", to which the crowd enthusiastically replied "Goli Maaro Sa***n Ko"; the entire chant translates to "shoot down the traitors who betray the country".

Days after his remark, a teenager fired at anti-CAA protesters near Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia university. The Jamia Millia Islamia Teachers Association had blamed Anurag Thakur for the firing incident, saying nothing can be more "anti-national" than a minister inciting citizens to indulge in violence from a public platform.

He had later said there was no place for violence in democracy.

On Monday, Mr Thakur, who is the junior Finance Minister, faced slogans of "Goli Maarna Band Karo" or "stop shooting" in parliament as he responded to questions from lawmakers on the economy.

The BJP, which has made Shaheen Bagh its main poll issue, claims Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal supports the protest, which has blocked an arterial Delhi-Noida road.

In an interview to NDTV, Mr Kejriwal replied to the BJP's incessant attacks on the matter.

"Amit Shah is the Home Minister, he is so powerful, do you think he cannot clear a road if he wants to? He doesn't want to as he wants to fight the entire Delhi election on Shaheen Bagh. The BJP has no other issue," he said.

With inputs from ANI