The Delhi CEO Office has sought a report from the North West district's election officer in connection with a rally by BJP leader and Union minister Anurag Thakur during which he egged on the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan that “goli maro sa*** ko" (traitors should be shot), after he lashed out at anti-CAA protestors, officials said.
The incident has triggered a row, drawing sharp reaction form the Congress which demanded that the Election Commission (EC) take action against Thakur.
"The EC must take immediate action against the minister for instigating violence and take appropriate measures," Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee said.
"As the economy is going downhill, unemployment is at record levels and the Modi government does not have anything to showcase, the BJP is back to its favourite game of polarisation," she added.
"We have taken cognisance of the incident and have sought a report from the district election officer. However, we have not received any complaint so far," a senior official in the Delhi CEO Office said.
At the rally, Thakur, the minister of state for finance, shouted "desh ke gaddaron ko" to which the crowd responded "goli maro sa*** ko" (shoot down the traitors).
The head of the Delhi Congress campaign committee, Kirti Azad, also hit out at the saffron party, saying its leaders were the "real traitors" as they were working to "destroy" peace and amity.
Addressing the rally in support of Manish Chaudhary, the BJP candidate from Rithala in the February 8 Delhi Assembly polls, Thakur raised the pitch of nationalism as he linked opposition parties with the anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh and alleged anti-India slogans, and then asked the crowd to raise the controversial slogan.
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