Delhi Assembly Polls 2020: Election Commission Bars BJP MP Parvesh Verma From Campaigning For 24 Hours

Election Commission of India has barred Bharatiya Janata Party MP Parvesh Verma for holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, roadshows and interviews for 24 hours over his statement against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a news channel. The ban on Verma, second in the last one week, came into force at 6 pm on Wednesday. This means, he will not be able to campaign for the February 8 Delhi assembly polls any further. Campaigning ends at 5 pm on Thursday. 

"The Commission, under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and all other powers enabling it in this behalf, bars Parvesh from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, roads shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media), etc. in connection with ongoing general election to the legislative assembly of NCT of Delhi, 2020 for a period of 24 hours starting from 6 pm February 5, 2020," the poll panel said in a statement.

Earlier, Parvesh Verma was barred for four days for their controversial remarks. The West Delhi MP had said what happened in Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandits could happen in Delhi, warning that lakhs of anti-CAA protesters in Shaheen Bagh could enter homes to rape and kill women.

Parvesh Verma Barred For Second Time

Verma was barred from campaigning for 96 hours (four days) for his interview in which he made remarks on Shaheen Bagh and a statement on removing mosques at an election meeting in Vikas Puri on January 28.

In his reply, Verma said his remarks on Shaheen Bagh protesters were in response to a question in an interview and were misrepresented by the media. He also said his statement on removal of mosques was in context of removing illegal encroachments from government lands.

ALSO READ: EC Issues Notice To BJP MP Parvesh Verma For Calling Arvind Kejriwal 'Terrorist'

On January 25, BJP candidate from Model Town Kapil Mishra was barred from campaigning for 48 hours for inflammatory tweets. One of the tweets was removed by Twitter and an FIR was logded against on the directions of the EC.