ON January 29, 2020, Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) and K M Tewari, state secretary of the Delhi CPI(M) lodged a police complaint with Amulya Patnaik, the Delhi police commissioner against Anurag Thakur, union minister of state for finance and Parvesh Verma, a MP from Delhi for inciting communal enmity and extending threats by making statements that are perjudicial to national integration. Both the leaders demanded registration of an FIR against the two.

The text of the police complaint is given below:

You are no doubt aware that the Election Commission has taken note of the prima facie evidence against two BJP leaders namely Anurag Thakur, the minister of state for finance and Parvesh Verma, the incumbent MP from the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, for highly objectionable speeches and has removed them from the list of star campaigners. However, it is regrettable that the Delhi police, which has taken suo moto 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. Their statements over the past few days are inflammatory and illegal, constituting offences under Sections 153A/153B/504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as other applicable provisions such as under Section 295A/298/506 IPC.

We, Brinda Karat and K M Tewari, are therefore making this complaint and demand that an FIR be filed immediately against the two individuals named.

Parvesh Verma gave a speech on Monday, January 27, 2020, in which he openly threatened the protestors at Shaheen Bagh and claimed that if the BJP is elected in Delhi, Shaheen Bagh would be cleared within one hour. This is clearly a threat, and Verma can only be referring to the use of force against what has been a peaceful gathering at Shaheen Bagh.

Verma has given an interview to ANI on January 28, 2020, which we have viewed online. In the said interview, Parvesh Verma has stated in reference to the protestors at Shaheen Bagh:

“Yeh log aapke gharon mein ghusenge, aapki behen betiyon ko uthaienge aur unko rape karenge, unko marenge. Isiliye aaj samay hai. Kal Modi ji nahin aayenge bachane, kal Amit Shah ji nahin aayenge bachane…”


This statement is, once again, 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 protestors 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.

Verma is also reported as having stated that,  “If my government is formed in Delhi, then give me only one month’s time after February 11. Will not leave any mosques built in my Lok Sabha constituency on government land will remove them all.” This statement is also self-evidently inflammatory, communal, and threatening towards the Muslim community. Particularly when said as part of a campaign speech by an elected representative, these intentional statements are directly aimed at creating enmity between religious groups and extending threats and intimidation of violence to the Muslim community at large. Such statements cannot be ignored as, apart from being against the fibre of the Indian Constitution and society, they constitute serious cognizable offences under the IPC.

As previously mentioned, the provocative comments made by Verma are made with the intention to promote enmity between Hindus and Muslims in India. This act of Verma constitutes offence under Section 153A/153B/504/505 IPC.

As Verma’s statement were in the course of campaigning and clearly with a view to garner votes in the forthcoming elections, the offence of making a false statement in connection with an election under Section 171G IPC may also be attracted in the present case.

Similarly, on January 27, 2010, Anurag Thakur, while campaigning for a BJP candidate, Manish Choudhury in Rithala, was seen addressing a rally of BJP supporters and leading a chant of, ‘desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maro salon ko’. In the video which is uploaded on various news websites including the Times of India. Anurag Thakur is seen inciting the supporters of the BJP and members of the general public present at the said rally to attack those protesting against the CAA and NRC by referring to protestors as gaddar or traitors. Thakur is in fact seen in the video repeatedly calling upon the BJP supporters present to shout the said slogan so that the same is audible to other office bearers, and members of the BJP present on the stage of the said rally including the union minister, Giriraj Singh among others.

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