The West Delhi MP has also said that if the BJP comes to power on February 11, Shaheen Bagh will be vacated 'within an hour.' (Photo Credit: Parvesh Verma/Facebook)
New Delhi:
Ahead of the crucial Delhi Assembly Elections, BJP’s Parvesh Verma sparked a massive controversy with his provocative remark against the protesters of Shaheen Bagh area. 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.
The incident 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).
Another Union Minister Giriraj Singh had also said that the CAA protesters were trying to divide the country.
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.
