48-Hour Campaign Ban On BJP's Kapil Mishra Over Communal Tweet

The Election Commission has imposed a 48-hour campaigning ban on the BJP's Kapil Mishra, effective 5 pm Saturday, for tweets Delhi Police said were "creating enmity among classes". Mr Mishra, who has a history of making communal and incendiary comments, is the BJP's candidate from the Model Town constituency for next month's Assembly election.

On Friday the Election Commission took objection to a Twitter post by Mr Mishra that referred to "mini-Pakistans" in the national capital, calling it "highly objectionable" and stating it "appeals to communal feelings". The social media platform subsequently took down one of the tweets and, subsequently, a police case was also filed against Mr Mishra.

In the tweet, which was posted Thursday, Mr Mishra had referred to Shaheen Bagh - where hundreds of women and children have braved the Delhi winter to mount a weeks-long sit-in protest against the citizenship law - as an entry point for Pakistan.

"Pakistan is entering through Shaheen Bagh, and mini-Pakistans are being created in Delhi...Shaheen Bagh, Chand Bagh, Inderlok. The law is not followed here and Pakistani rioters are occupying the roads," he posted in Hindi.

In an earlier post, he compared the Delhi election to an "India vs Pakistan" clash.

Citing the Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission said the comments violated the rule that forbids "aggravating differences or creating mutual hatred or causing tension between different communities".

Mr Mishra responded by saying: "I don't think I said anything wrong. Speaking truth is not a crime in this country. I spoke the truth. I stand by my statement".

Kapil Mishra, 39, is a former AAP leader who fell out with the party after publicly accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of corruption.

The AAP was quick to respond to Mr Mishra's "India vs Pakistan" tweet, asking if he had joined the BCCI - the governing body of cricket in India.

"Has Mishra joined the Board of Control for Cricket in India?" Sanjay Singh, the AAP's national spokesperson and a Rajya Sabha MP, said when asked for comments on the tweets.

Delhi will vote on February 8 with results due February 11.

The Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, makes religion, for the first time, the test of citizenship. The government says the law will help non-Muslim refugees fleeing religious persecution from Muslim-dominated nations. Critics say it discriminates against Muslims and violates secular tenets of the Constitution.