A large number of women have been holding a sit-in against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Shaheen Bagh in south east Delhi since mid-December. (Photo Credit: File Photo)
New Delhi:
Ahead of the crucial Delhi Assembly Elections, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to target the Shaheen Bagh protests and term the month-long stir as irrelevant. Days after BJP lawmaker Parvesh Verma’s shocking remark against the Shaheen Bagh protesters where he said that ‘if unchecked, they (protesters) will rape and kill daughters of Delhi,’ another BJP leader has made an extremely provocative statement against the anti-CAA stir. Delhi BJP’s co-incharge Tarun Chugh has termed the Shaheen Bagh protests as ISIS modules. In a tweet, Chugh said that they (protesters) are trying to turn Delhi into Syria by using women and children.
“We will not let Delhi become Syria and allow them to run an ISIS-like module here, where women and kids are used. They are trying to create fear in the minds of people of Delhi by blocking the main route. We will not let this happen. (We will not let Delhi burn),” Chugh said while using hashtag of ‘Shaheen Bagh ka sach’.
We will not let Delhi become Syria and allow them to run an ISIS-like module here,where women and kids are used. They are trying to create fear in the minds of people of Delhi by blocking the main route. We will not let this happen.(We will not let Delhi burn).#ShaheenBaghKaSach
— Tarun Chugh (@tarunchughbjp) January 29, 2020
On January 28, talking to news agency ANI, the West Delhi MP issued a warning saying that if not checked, the protesters will rape and kill daughters of residents of Delhi. “…Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think and take a decision. They will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them. There's time today, Modi ji and Amit Shah won't come to save you tomorrow...," Verma was quoted as saying.
This is not the only shocking statement made by Verma. Before that he had said that if the BJP comes to power on February 11, Shaheen Bagh will be vacated ‘within an hour.’ He went on to say that all mosques build on government land will be razed to ground. “Within a month, we will not spare a single mosque built on government land,” Verma said during an election rally in Delhi’s Vikas Puri area.
Verma is not the only BJP leader who has made controversial statements over Shaheen Bagh protests. Earlier, Union Minister Anurag Thakur had incendiary remark when 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 during a rally. The Delhi CEO Office has sought a report from the North West district's election officer over Thakur’s remark. Another Union Minister Giriraj Singh had also said that the CAA protesters were trying to divide the country.
The communal statement forced the Election Commission of India into action. On Wednesday, the Election Commission ordered removal of Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma from the list of star campaigners of BJP for Delhi assembly elections. An order issued by the poll body on Wednesday barred the two leaders who made objectionable comments while campaigning during election rallies.
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"The Election Commission has ordered the removal of Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma 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," the order said.
A large number of women have been holding a sit-in against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Shaheen Bagh in south east Delhi since mid-December. The protest, supported by people from different fields including politicians, Bollywood actors and academicians, has emerged as a symbol of anti-CAA agitation in the country.
