New Delhi, January 30: The "provocative" remarks issued by West Delhi BJP lawmaker Parvesh Verma and Union Minister Anurag Thakur has drawn a stern action from the Election Commission. The polling body on Thursday announced a 72-hour campaigning ban on Verma, whereas, Thakur was ordered to abstain from the campaign trail for 48 hours. AAP Moves EC, Seeks FIR Against Parvesh Verma for Calling Arvind Kejriwal 'Terrorist'.

The action against Verma and Thakur comes in the backdrop of a strongly worded complaint submitted by the Congress. Both the senior BJP leaders were issued a notice by the Commission earlier this week. Based on their response to the show-cause notice, the EC decided to impose a ban of four days on Verma and three days on Thakur.

Update by ANI

Thakur, while addressing a rally in Delhi on Monday, stoked a row by making the crowd raise an "inflammatory" slogan. Apparently referring to the anti-CAA protests in the national capital, Thakur shouted "desh ke in gaddaro" ko and the crowd replied saying, "Goli maaro saalo ko".

Verma landed in row on Tuesday, after he told reporters that the Shaheen Bagh protesters are "rapists and murderers". In an address to party workers later that day, the BJP leader said he would get all mosques built on government lands removed from his constituency within a month after the BJP comes to power.

Verma, on being confronted by reporters over his controversial remark, said he stand by what he has said. "If awakening the Hindu community is a crime, then I have committed a crime. I stand by my remarks," he said, accusing the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi of sowing seeds of communal discord by favouring the Muslims.

Thakur also defended his remarks before the media, saying that one should view the clips going viral in entirety before levelling allegations against him. "First see the full video and then sense the mood of people of Delhi," said Thakur, who is the Union Minister of State (MoS) in the Finance Ministry.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2020 02:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).