Delhi court asks police to file status report on complaints against Anurag Thakur, Pravesh Verma

A special court in Delhi on Wednesday asked the Delhi police to file a status report on a complaint filed against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Pravesh Verma for their alleged hate speeches.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja issued a notice to DCP, New Delhi district, and sought their response on not filing FIRs against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for allegedly delivering hate speeches in Delhi recently during the campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls.

The court was hearing a plea filed by CPI-M leaders Brinda Karat and KM Tewari in the matter, who sought filing of FIRs under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the two BJP leaders.

The CPI-M leaders approached the court after their written complaints to the Commissioner of Police and the SHO, Parliament Street, had failed to elicit any response. The two leaders had written to the Commissioner on January 29 and subsequently on 31, while the letter to the SHO Parliament Street was sent on February 2.

In their complaint, Karat and Tewari had sought filing of FIRs under Sections 153A/ 153B/ 295A/ 298/ 504/ 505/ 506 of the Indian Penal Code among others, against Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma.

Last week, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had put a 72 hours ban on campaigning by Union Minister Anurag Thakur and a 96 hours ban on BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma.

Thakur had raised the slogan "Desh Ke Gaddaro Ko, Goli Maaro Saalo Ko" (shoot the traitors) several times while addressing a public meeting here in Rithala on January 27.

On the other hand, Verma had in a controversial statement said, "Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think and make a decision. They will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them. There is time today, Modi Ji and Amit Shah won't come to save you tomorrow...".