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 'traitors should be shot,' after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters, officials said.
The incident has triggered a row, drawing sharp reaction form the Congress which has demanded that the Election Commission (EC) take action against Thakur.
The Congress tweeted a video of the alleged incident comparing it with Thakur taking oath as an Union minister. The party asked why a minister of state 'who openly incites violence' is exempt from the title of anti-national, while peaceful protestors are conferred the same title by the BJP government.
Indian citizens who protest peacefully, sing the National Anthem & recite the Preamble are termed anti-national by the BJP govt, but a Minister of State who openly incites violence is somehow exempt from the same title.
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 28, 2020
What else can be expected from the Godse Fan Club Party? pic.twitter.com/67ezOHWppi
'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).
Thakur was addressing the meeting in support of BJP candidate from Rithala, Manish Chaudhary.
He raised the pitch of nationalism as he linked Opposition parties with anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh and with alleged anti-India slogans, and then asked the crowd to raise the controversial slogan.