Will Study Poll Body Notice To Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma: Union Minister

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said that the BJP will study the Election Commission's directions on removal of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and MP Parvesh Verma from party's star campaigners' list for the Delhi Assembly polls.

Mr Javadekar's remarks came during a press briefing on Cabinet decisions.

"I have been informed that the Election Commission has issued some directions. We will study and If necessary, we will present a letter or application," Mr Javadekar said.

The Minister, however, clarified that the BJP is "putting up a balanced campaign with positivity". We are discussing the development of Delhi and all campaigners focus on that line." But, Mr Javadekar said, the Bharatiya Janata Party takes cognizance if any "sentence is wrong."

"Ours is a thinking party. I can tell something after studying the order," said Mr Javadekar.

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered the removal of Anurag Thakur and BJP's Delhi MP Parvesh Verma from BJP's campaigners' list and also sent a notice to them over violation of provisions of Model Code of Conduct and Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The EC's move came a day after the Delhi election office submitted its report to it on the suspected violation of model code of conduct by Mr Verma and Mr Thakur, BJP's star campaigners.

The report referred to Mr Verma's remarks on Shaheen Bagh and his tweet regarding religious places, besides Mr Thakur's alleged "shoot the traitors" poll slogan at a rally.

Mr Verma had said that mosques and graveyards have come up on over 500 government properties in the capital, including hospitals and schools. He said the land where these "illegal structures" have come up belong to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Jal Board.

Asked about the Shaheen Bagh protest and a new one which started at Nizamuddin from Tuesday, Mr Javadekar said: "There is a right in a democracy to express views and stage protest. But there is a need to take legal permission."

But, the Minister said, some people have thought that they would not take permission and will sit anywhere for protest. "Then it reflects on them."

Mr Javadekar said the police is continuously approaching people sitting on demonstration at Shaheen Bagh to end the protest, but the way speeches like 'Assam ki Aazadi', 'Jinnah wali Aazadi', 'Supreme Court par hamara bharosa nahi hai' (we have no faith in the Supreme Court) and slogans for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru are being made is wrong for the country.

"It is dangerous and everyone will condemn these things," Mr Javadekar said.