File FIRs against Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma: CPI(M)

CPI(M) on Wednesday filed a complaint with Delhi Police against Union Minister Anurag Thakur and BJP MP Parvesh Verma for their controversial comments during Assembly election campaign, saying it was "regrettable" that the force did not take any notice of the "blatantly communal and hate speeches".

Demanding registration of an FIR against the two BJP leaders, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat and Delhi State Secretary K M Tewari said in their complaint that their statements over the past few days were"inflammatory and illegal", constituting offences under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

They said the Election Commission has taken note of the prima facie evidence against two BJP leaders for "highly objectionable speeches and has removed them from the list of star campaigners".

However, they said, it was "regrettable that Delhi Police, which has taken suo motu notice of other statements made by other persons to file sedition cases, has not taken any notice of the blatantly communal and hate speeches made by these two leaders and has not filed any cases against them".

Thakur earned the EC wrath for his "shoot the traitors" sloganeering in a campaign meeting on Monday while Verma faced trouble with his claims on Tuesday that lakhs of people were coming to the anti-CAA protest site of Shaheen and they could enter one's house to rape and murder their sisters and daughters.

CPI(M) leaders wanted police to book the two BJP functionaries under sections of the Indian Penal Code related to promoting enmity between different groups, acting against national-integration, intentional use of abusive language, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and criminal intimidation.

On Verma's comment, the CPI(M) leaders said they were "clearly false provocative and communal as not only is the protest at Shaheen Bagh entirely peaceful, but it is also attended by a large number of women, elderly persons and children, a large section of whom belong to the minority community".

"Verma seeks to characterise the protesters at Shaheen Bagh as potential dangerous invaders into the homes of peaceful Hindus. It is inciting religious hatred by calling them rapists and criminals. It is also designed to cause fear among the majority population, particularly women and create communal division," they said while also referring to his another comment about razing down mosques built on government land within a month of BJP coming to power in Delhi.

On Thakur, they said he was seen inciting the supporters of the BJP and members of the public at a rally to attack those protesting against the CAA and NRC by referring to protesters as traitors.

"We request you to immediately register an FIR on this complaint, which discloses the commission of serious cognizable offenses that threaten our national integration," it said.