'Goli Maro' Slogan Raised En Route To Amit Shah's Rally In Kolkata

A section of Bharatiya Janata Party workers raised the controversial ‘goli maro...’ (shoot the traitors) slogan on their way to a rally addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Kolkata, reported news agency PTI. The group, shouting the slogan, were carrying party flags while on the way to the Shahid Minar ground.

When contacted, a senior officer of the Kolkata Police declined to comment anything on the incident, but said, "strict action will be taken against anybody trying to disrupt the law and order situation in the city". The home minister is on a day-long visit to Kolkata.

The BJP is facing flak for using such slogans at party meeting and rallies during recently concluded Delhi Assembly polls. The slogan was first raised by Union Minister Anurag Thakur during a poll rally on January 27 last year. 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).

Subsequently, Thakur was banned for the incendiary slogan by the Election Commission. The Election Commission had issued a show-cause notice to Thakur  for his “desh ke gaddaron ko” slogan at a poll meeting, saying prima facie the remarks had the “potential of disturbing communal harmony” and the BJP MP had violated the poll code and electoral law.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has detained six people for shouting the controversial slogans at Delhi's Rajiv Chowk metro station on Saturday.

"Around 12.30 p.m. slogans 'desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro ***** ko' were raised at Rajiv Chowk metro station... we have detained them at Rajiv Chowk metro police station and interrogation is being carried out," the Delhi Police said.

According to the police, the detained people were raising pro-CAA slogans.