For instance, we need to consider the following factors:

• Performance of the AAP Government,
• Perception of corruption by the AAP,
• Controversy over the official bungalow of Arvind Kejriwal,
• Pollution in Delhi,
• Kejriwal’s failure to protect minority
• Loss of even partial status of the Delhi State given the powers handed by central diktat to the LG, incumbency and the urge for a change,
• Failure to strike alliance between AAP and INC,
• Kejriwal labelling Rahul Gandhi as amongst three corrupt leaders and
• Yamuna water being unfit for consumption
• Selective deletion and addition of electors between the notification of elections on January 7, 2025 and the final electoral roll issued thereafter, on January 17, 2025. The increase was a substantial 76,366 electors in the 10 day period, from 1,55,37,634 to 1,56,14000.
• The EVM, Factor and other alleged election malpractices.

And/or

• Huge income tax relief announced in budget up-to INR 1,13000, and more,
• Landing of deported ones at Amritsar, Punjab rather than that at the Indira Gandhi airport New

The picture of the repeatedly altered register of voters has ensured a mind-boggling impact. This factor has emerged despite the fact that a special summary revision of electoral rolls with reference to the qualifying date of January 1, 2025 was started in all the constituencies. The Draft Electoral Roll had been published on October 29, 2024 and prominently displayed at all places inviting objections by November 28, 2024. This Draft Electoral Roll contained 1,53,57,529

Electors.The registered electors shown in the press release by the CEO at the time depicted 1,47,97,990 electors for the 2020 Assembly, as per the summary of electors posted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on its web page on Assembly Elections of NCT Delhi 2020. Thereafter on Jan 06, 2025 17:02 hours IST, the ECI released the final electoral roll of Delhi which showed that the national capital has a total 1,55,24,858 voters, 83,49,645 male and 71,73,952 female voters, third gender 1,261.

• Registered Electors in NCT Delhi for Assembly Elections 2020 = 1,47,97,990
• Registered Electors, finally shown in NCT Delhi in Lok Sabha elections 2024 = 1,52,14,638
• Jan 06, 2025 17:02 IST, Registered Electors Summary revision ECI = 1,55,24,858

(Male 83,49,645 Female 71,73,952 , Third Gender 1261 Total 1,55,24,858)

• Elections notified on January 7, 2025, Total Registered electors (ECI) = 1,55,37,634
• ELECTORS AS ON 01.2025 (CEO NCT DELHI) = 1,56,14000

Issue of Electoral Rolls

The repeated and substantial alterations of registered voters by the ECI itself makes the exercise cloudy. The absence of any credible explanation as well as deviation from the norm also shatters the confidence of the electors because of an absence of any degree of fairness. Even under the amended section 14 of the Representation of Peoples Act 1950, the date of eligibility for the registration of electors is January 1, April 1, July 1, and Oct 1 of each year and in the present case of Delhi for the February 2025 elections it is January 1, 2025 under amended section 14 ibid. Since the process had begun on October 29, 2024, but the revised rolls were published only by January 7, 2025 the date of notification should have not resulted in any hike/ injection of electors 10 days thereafter (76366 voters were added as has been explained above). There have been allegations of the unauthorised deletion of names and addition of voters, hence, given that the ECI is a constitutional body owing accountability to the people of India, it is bound under the Constitution and the law to place details regarding the entire process related to the inclusion of new voters, including the documents therein, in the public domain.

Besides, a duty is cast upon the ECI to explain how: a) 13,145 electors got inducted in the voter’s list of the Badli constituency; b) 16,413 electors got inducted into the list of the Nangloi Jat constituency c)17,549 electors got inducted into the list of the in Mundika constituency; d) 7,387 into the lists of the Shahdra constituency; e) 24,759 voters into the lists of the Burari assembly constituency; f) 18,404 added into the list of the Bawana constituency; g) 8,638 voters added into the list of the Vikaspuri constituency and, h) 2,209 votes added into the New Delhi constituency. These examples are illustrations and other constituencies too saw such an increase between the Lok Sabha elections held in Delhi on May 25, 2024 and the NCT assembly elections held on February 5. 2025.

The YouTube news channel run by journalist, Ajit Anjum (@AjitAnjumOfficial ) has made public the study conducted by it on the gross irregularities into the voter registration process that includes the registering of multiple electors at addresses of (six) –in large part—representatives of the BJP!. This study related to a micro 32 addresses from which location, as many as 635 votes ranging between 15 to 44 votes per address were added! Incidentally, some of these “addresses” are even not permitted to be labelled as a residence and some are so small in size that the number of persons (whose names were registered from there) could not have been said to have been registered under:

The pattern in this study (expose) provides a clear indication that there has been a process of “bulk registration” of voters, almost as if targets were given for the exercise.[1]

Voter Turnout

The ECI has faltered, again, on the release of voter turnout data too by altering the timing of the first press release to 5 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. which is one hour after scheduled voting time. The voter turnout at 57.70% in the ECI Press release (vide No. ECI /PN/179/2024 dated February 5, 2025 as of 5.00 p.m.) Though the scheduled voting time was until 6 p.m. The voter turnout percentage was revised to 60.42% by 11.30 p.m. (vide No. ECI /PN/180/2024 dated

February 5, 2025). There was no official press release at 6 p.m. that is at the end of scheduled poll time. Incidentally, the CEO Delhi released yet another figure for voter turnout (60.54%) without mentioning any time. The total number of votes polled have been declared as 94, 51,997.

Status of votes secured by parties, winning margins of contestants and overall impact

An analysis of the votes secured by the parties and the candidates with losing and winning margins in all the 70 seats –including votes polled by the candidates of three major political players, i.e. the AAP, NDA and INC shows that AAP lost 16 seats by a margin of 10,000 votes or less and NDA lost 8 seats in this range. A further analysis also shows that the NDA also won three seats by a margin of less than 1000 votes: Sangam Vihar (344 votes) Tirlokpuri (392 votes) and Jangpura (675 votes). In another three seats, again, the margin of victory of the BJP is very slender between 1001 and 2000 votes: these are Timarpur (1168 votes), Rajinder Nagar (1231votes) and Mehrauli (1782 votes). In another three seats AAP lost by similarly small margins: Malviya Nagar (2131 votes), Greater Kailash (3188 votes), New Delhi (4089 votes), while in the remaining seven seats AAP lost by 5001-10000 votes: Shahdra (5178 votes), Chhatarpur (6239 votes), Mangolpuri (6255 votes), Hari Nagar (6632 votes), Dwarka (7829 votes), Narela (8596 votes), Palm (8952 votes). In contrast, in the seats where it emerged victorious, APP has won all seats by a margin of more than 2,000 votes.

Vote Share

Seats where the margin of loss by APP is less than the votes secured by INC

Pre-poll Opinion and Exit Polls

1. Latest Opinion Poll by Phalodi Satta Bazar: This poll conducted by Madhuri Adnal Time (updated Friday, January 31, 2025, 18:50 hours forecast AAP securing 38-40 seats and BJP an estimated 30-32
2. Gaurav Sharma, in oneindia.com  (published on Monday February 3 2025, 11:08 hours) com/new-Delhi, the opinion polls suggested that the AAP may bag 37 to 40 seats. BJP may clinch 20 to 25 seats, Congress 0 to 2 seats.
3. Hindi Khabar and Mind Brick India in its poll suggested that AAP would get 55 seats. The BJP 15 and INC none.

Conclusion: The pre poll opinion in a majority of the surveys showed that while the APP would get less seats than earlier –the number could reduce to 38-40 seats – it would still form the government while the BJP would get a respectable number of 20 to 32 seats but would not be able to get majority.

DELHI EXIT POLL NEWS 18 www.news18.com › elections › assembly Delhi Assembly Election 2025 Exit Poll Results Latest Updates …Feb 5, 2025 · Get the latest Delhi Assembly election 2025 exit poll results, predictions for Delhi elections, and AAP, BJP, Congress seat forecasts. 

Delhi Assembly elections 2025

Factors that acted as the drivers of a sudden change between January 31, and February 5, 2025

It appears obvious from the above that the scales shifted substantially by the time the exit polls were conducted. Almost all the polls showed the BJP get a thumping majority, on its way to form the next government. AAP was predicted to be trailing behind. Scientifically, we need to therefore conclude that something major occurred between January 31 and February 5 to tilt the scales so decisively.

Some factors

1. Union Budget presented on 1^st of February and FM Sitaraman claims to fill the pockets of middle class and doles out 1 lakh crore in the form of Income Tax Waiver.
2. All tax payers having an income of Rs. 12 lakh and the Salaried persons having an income of 12.75 lakh get total waiver of the income tax thus getting up-to 1.13 lakh rupees per annum as tax waiver and benefit on two rented houses and many other benefits.

Impact of the Income Tax Waiver on Delhi electors

(Income Tax Revenue in Accounting Year 2023-2024)

Significantly, 62.21% of from the Rs.16,63,686.47 crore income tax revenue, during AY 2023-24, came from the three states of Maharashtra 6,05,268.35 crore, NCT Delhi 2,21,522.20 crore and Karnatka 2,08,168.88 crore.

The income tax paid by NCT Delhi turns out to be 13.32% of the total income tax from whole of India. Out of Rs. One lakh crore doled out by the FM by income tax relief, the amount for NCR Delhi totals Rs. 13,315 crore per year.

Income Tax returns filed during 2023-2024

During the financial year 2022-23, in NCT Delhi, 37,06,999 persons filed income tax returns out of which 12,25,820 are the beneficiaries of the income tax relief doled out by the Finance Minister on February 1, 2025. The ECI has stayed mum on the announcement of this dole In the budget four days before the scheduled election. It appears apparent that votes have been lured by this significant dole out. Out of the total beneficiaries, even if 20% of the voters tilted towards the BJP, more than the present win was assured.

This can be established if we analyse the preferences expressed by various segments of the voters in a survey conducted by C Voter that gave a general idea of the demography tilt in favour of the BJP and AAP. Published by India Today, the exit polls have predicted a victory for the BJP in Delhi India Today News Desk New Delhi, UPDATED: Feb 6, 2025 23:12 IST Written By: Prateek Chakraborty. Hence, the figures of preferences of various socio-economic, religious, gender-based, and age group preferences displayed in the C Voter survey published by India Today, strengthens this contention.

From the accompanying table it is patently clear that higher income groups have tilted to BJP especially those having income in this tax bracket. This displays an overall tilt of 50%, while those with an income of Rs. one lakh or more per month show a 54.9 and 61.1% preference for BJP while AAP has a support of only 32.7% and 25.8% respectively

Similarly there has been a greater shift of the male voter towards the BJP on this count. A total of 51.4% men have preferred the BJP whereas, on the contrary, 50.7% of women voters preferred AAP. This shows the impact of this budget announcement, again.

Since the budget has nothing for the house wives and labour has also been denied any benefit, more than 51% of these categories, i.e. housewives 51.5% and labour 51.8% have opted for AAP.

Since youth has not been given the requite hope from the budget, youngsters between 18-22 and 23-35 have preferred AAP to the tune of 46.7% and 45.4% respectively

This income tax relief is only beneficial for the employed, who come from college levels and professionals who can have start-ups and loans. Therefore, the impact of budget announcement of tax relief is manifest in these categories for BJP: 53.9% of the above high school and 54.5% professionals have preferred BJP

Another factor that has probably played a role in the dramatic last minute shift was the deliberate decision of the government of India to give permission for the landing of the first US military airplane at the Guru Ramdas International Air Port Amritsar not in Delhi. This carrier transported, in handcuffs and chains, 104 deported migrants. Of these 33each were from Gujarat and Haryana, 30 from Punjab, and three each from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh,

Though the numbers of deportees were highest from Gujarat and Haryana, a compliant and complicit media had begun a campaign to depict those deported as only from Punjab. There was a significant undercurrent of anti-Sikh minority bashing in the ‘Godi” media coverage. However, the chief minister of Pubjab, Bhagwant Mann announced government jobs for all the 30 deportees from Punjab. This too had its impact in NCT Delhi: 49.1% Sikhs and 63.1% Muslims preferred AAP to any other party in the polls.

Acknowledgements: The reaction of voters at pages 6,7 above have been taken from the C Voter Survey published by India Today on February 6, 2025. The income tax data has been taken from the official website of the tax authorities. The voter percentage and other voter related data has been interpreted from the website of the ECI and the CEO, Delhi.

(The author is former Dean, Punjab University Faculty of Medical Sciences)

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author’s personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sabrangindia.

[1] The author states this because of the similarity in pattern: the same numbers of registrations getting from different locations, irrespective of the size, nature or status of place or of Residents. This is normally not possible without a connivance of the authorities and some protection from the powers that be. The Table raises the question, has the process of registration of electors been manipulated/vitiated for the injection of fake electors?

Related:

SABRANGINDIA EXCLUSIVE: Election 2024, ECI: Technical glitch, gross negligence or deliberate manipulation?

VFD’s draft reports points to “electoral manipulation and irregularities” in Haryana and J&K 2024 assembly elections

EVM row: Winning MLA from Malshiras (Markadwadi) issues ultimatum to ECI, demands elections by ballot papers

The post Who orchestrated APPs failures, the FM and her ex-FS or the ECI? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

– A VHP leader addressing a gathering in Delhi.

“..Consume less food, purchase a cheaper mobile phone, anything, only promise to have five tridents in a home”.

– Another VHP leader addressing a meeting in Delhi.

Provocative speeches and distribution of what is being peddled as ‘legally permissible weapons’ , very much in the heart of the national capital ; detailed plans to hold similar events all over the city, on the eve of elections – all this has not stirred the deep slumber in which the law and order machinery found itself in.

Thanks to the inaction, now the campaign to arm a section of radical Hindus has reportedly spread to the womenfolk as well. Plans are afoot to distribute 20,000 daggers to women from the majority community under what is being billed as ‘Shastra Deeksha Samaroh’. In fact, media was agog with footage of daggers being distributed to Hindu women in the second week of January itself.

No doubt, it would be height of innocence to presume that the silence of the officers/ personnel entrusted with maintaining law and order in the city – which is directly under the purview of the Ministry of Home – is inadvertent.

These events are rather difficult to believe in a city still recovering from the ‘riots’ five year ago which saw deaths of innocents from both the communities and damage to their properties, with role of a section of the police itself coming under the scanner.

It is not difficult to imagine the serious impact such radical mobilisation of the majority community can have – with at least 50,000 Hindu men, the actual numbers could be far more, holding fresh tridents/trishuls and 20,000 women possessing daggers – on the social fabric of the city. With Republic Day celebrations approaching followed by elections to the Assembly, with three major players in the wings, it is anybody’s guess that mischievous elements can engage in their dirty tricks, or even a single event/ non-event can bring the peace and harmony in the national capital under cloud.

What needs to borne in mind is that distribution of what are being portrayed as ‘legally permissible weapons’ (the term itself is an oxymoron) – focusing on the majority community – under religious garb have tremendous political overtones and such programmes held in the national capital are no exception.

It remains to be seen how such ‘weapons distribution’ does not come under censure of the Arms Act, 1959. Section 2(1) (c) of the Act defines “arms” as:

Articles of any description designed or adapted as weapons for offences, or defence, and includes firearms, sharp edged and other deadly weapons, and parts of and machinery for manufacturing arms, but does not include articles designed solely for domestic or agricultural uses such as a lathi, or an ordinary walking stick and weapons incapable of being used otherwise than as toys or of being converted into serviceable weapons.

The programme in Paharganj in Delhi in December 2024, where the regular right-wing rhetoric was very much on display, was not an isolated programme. It was an integral part of a ‘series of far-right gatherings in December 2024’ which had exposed a ‘disturbing pattern of communal mobilisation which was spread across Punjab, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan according to the Citizens for Justice & Peace (CJP).

What one observes that even dates of programmes in Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh coincided with each other (15 December). According to close observers, all these events, “[w]hich involve distributing tridents and administering oaths to “protect Hindu identity,” have become platforms for promoting exclusionary ideologies and inciting communal hatred”, CJP said. All these gathering where vilifying minorities, glorifying ‘baseless conspiracies like ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad,’ ‘ calls for calling for economic boycotts’, and glorifying vigilantism is freely on display thus ‘deepen social divisions but also normalize the idea of violence under the guise of cultural or religious defence’, the CJP added.

For example look at this report of a Trishul Deeksha event held in Nurmaha (Punjab), organised by VHP and Bajrang Dal, where ‘[a] far-right leader made several inflammatory remarks, invoking controversial issues tied to communal tensions.’ He declared: “Now that Ram Mandir is built, Kashi and Mathura remain!”—a direct reference to the ongoing demands by right-wing groups to reclaim the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura. Such rhetoric stokes communal sentiments by framing these mosques as illegitimate structures atop Hindu temples.

Any close observer of the communal situation in the country can vouch that the idea of holding ‘Trishul Deeksha Samaroh’ by Hindutva Supremacists formations is not a recent one and has a more than two decade old history, where conscious attempts were made to vitiate communal atmosphere. In fact, while armed communal mobilisation of the wider populace has always remained on the agenda of these supremacists organisations, such attempts gathered further strength through this campaign. The programme of Trishul Deekshas was taken up as a broader campaign since 1998 which gained in pace and stridency since the Gujarat massacre in 2002. Formally such programmes were termed as symbolic religious exercise supposedly to awaken the people but its intent was clear.

Reports of resistance to such mischievous attempts were also not uncommon. According to a report:

Perhaps in this grim situation it would be soothing to remember that a decade ago public protests led by organisations like PUCL, MKSS and others had pressurised the then Gehlot government to not only bring the VHP led Trishul Deeksha programme under the purview of the Arms Act but also prosecute leaders like Togadia who had been making communal hate speeches in the Trishul distribution ceremonies.

With the ascent of these Supremacists forces in the national polity, of late such programmes are again gaining momentum.

Look at this complaint filed by CJP with Nagpur police against two trishul distribution events, organised by Bajrang Dal & VHP. It provided details of these ‘two Trishul Diksha events held on May 2 and May 9’ respectively by ‘extremist outfits owing allegiance to Hindutva’ where, in addition to distribution of tridents amongst men, hate speeches are delivered exhorting Hindus to take up arms.’ Under these programmes demands for ‘India as a Hindu nation were also raised’, and the speakers ‘indulged in peddling various conspiracy theories to generate hate towards Muslims.’ The petition also talked about how “Bajrang Dal (BD) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have been organising such trishul distribution events regularly in the state of Rajasthan, and have been creating disharmony, furthering their communal agenda’.

Within less than three months CJP filed another petition with National Commission of Minorities against ‘arms training camps, weapon distribution events in Assam and Rajasthan’ held on July 30, 2023 and August 1, 2023, flagging “IPC violations, Arms Act breaches, and concerns for public safety and inter-community relations’ in these programmes

According to the complaint, the ‘arms training camp was organised by the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal in Darrang District of the state of Assam’, where ‘around 350 Hindu youths received training in handling firearms, martial arts, survival skills, and quick thinking. The intention of this camp was allegedly to fight against “love jihad” and create a divide among people from different communities, religions, and linguistic affiliations.’ The Rajasthan story was bit different. Here ‘fringe extremist organization of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal’ allegedly distributed sharp-edged tridents among hundreds of Hindu men in Jaitaran, Pali, Rajasthan. Participants took an oath to uphold a “Hindu Rashtra,” pledging allegiance to militant Hindu ideologies.

Within less than a month Sabrang published a detailed article unmasking ‘the Ideological Shift in Rajasthan’s Communal Landscape’ with a special focus on trident distribution and collective pledges taken at these programmes and explained how it “[r]eflects a troubling trend of religious polarisation, challenging India’s secular fabric and communal harmony. The aggressive mobilisation and hate that inevitably accompanies such gatherings sets the stage of stigmatisation and targeting of minorities in the area.’

According to it, such events which hold deep symbolism within the context of Hindutva, signify not only ‘Commitment to Hindutva Ideology’, but also it is openly proclaimed ‘their allegiance to an ideology that seeks to establish India as a Hindu-only nation’, which ‘goes against the principles of secularism enshrined in the Indian Constitution, that guarantees equal rights and freedoms to all religious communities.’ It further explained how the pledge to protect Hindu Dharam – repeated umpteen times in such gatherings underlines their belief that such elements are under threat from other religious communities and how it ‘fosters an “us versus them” mentality which further leads to ‘social tensions and conflicts.’

Coming back to Delhi, one does not know whether the custodians of law and order in Delhi – who directly work under the central Ministry of Home Affairs, led by none other than Mr Amit Shah, would review their approach and try to rein in these fanatic elements.

An added complexity is the manner in which AAP has never been forthcoming about the politics of polarisation practised by the BJP which is being termed as its own Hindutva Lite politics by analysts.

AAP’s decade old history bears witness to its own game of pandering to the false anxieties of the majority community to try to win them over its own side. A glimpse of its myopic approach vis a vis this issue can be gleaned from its direction to schools to stop admission of ”illegal Bangladeshis’ which contradicts its own policy.

Any neutral observer can see that the task of preserving the secular character of the polity and society becomes extremely difficult and challenging in such times.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Tridents for Men and Daggers for Women appeared first on SabrangIndia.

He referred to Muslims as “descendants of the Mughals,” called for “Jai Shree Ram” to dominate India, and spread fear by suggesting a Muslim population threat to Hindus, with specific reference to West Bengal, as CJP pleads before the CEO Delhi.

CJP mentioned in its complaint that, “BJP leader Ravinder Singh Negi’s speech appears to be a clear attempt to communalize the election process by drawing sharp religious lines between Hindus and Muslims. By invoking his identity as a “Sanatani Hindu” and asserting a duty to protect Hindus, Negi positions the Hindu community as a victim in need of protection from an alleged Muslim threat. He frames this as a moral imperative, aimed at gaining votes on religious grounds rather than on merit or policy.”

CJP stated that BJP Councillor’s speech highlights divisive rhetoric, particularly in his mention of the “descendants of the Mughals” and their “faces downcast,” which seems to stigmatize Muslims by associating them with past Muslim rulers in India. This historical reference is meant to provoke fear and resentment towards Muslims, painting them as hostile or antagonistic to Hindu interests. The statement that “only ‘Jai Shri Ram’ will be spoken” further emphasizes Hindu supremacy, implying that Muslims and other non-Hindu groups should be marginalized.

Additionally, Negi brings up the issue of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and the alleged persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. While these are legitimate concerns, his framing of these issues in a way that directly associates them with Muslims (both in Kashmir and Bangladesh) exploits communal sentiments to garner support. By focusing on perceived threats to Hindu communities, he uses emotional appeals that stoke fear and division rather than offering solutions to social or economic issues.

The harmful impact of divisive rhetoric on Delhi’s social fabric and democratic values

CJP in its complaint before CEO, Delhi concerned that the divisive rhetoric presented in Ravinder Singh Negi’s speech poses a significant threat to Delhi’s social fabric and democratic values. By categorizing entire communities based on religious identity, Negi fosters division and resentment between Hindus and Muslims. His statements that Muslims are the “descendants of the Mughals” with “faces downcast” perpetuate harmful stereotypes and vilify a large segment of the population. This fuels communal animosity, creating an environment where religious identity becomes the basis for trust and belonging, rather than shared values of equality and mutual respect.

“Furthermore, the use of historical grievances, such as the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and alleged violence in Bangladesh, stirs up fear and distrust without addressing the broader complexities of these issues. Instead of focusing on unity or national progress, Negi’s rhetoric plays on emotions, encouraging polarization and undermining the inclusive spirit that democratic societies thrive on” as per CJP complaint.

Impact on electoral environment

Additionally, CJP has highlighted serious concerns regarding the impact of divisive language on the electoral environment, particularly in reference to BJP Councillor Ravinder Negi’s statements. CJP stated that Negi’s rhetoric significantly impacts voting behavior, as it shifts the focus of electoral choices from substantive issues like governance, economic growth, healthcare, and infrastructure to communal anxieties. This shift, according to CJP, undermines reasoned debates and encourages a political discourse cantered on identity politics and exclusionary agendas. The divisive language employed fosters communal polarization, transforming elections into contests for dominance rather than forums for collective progress. Voters, CJP mentioned, are swayed by alarmist narratives rather than informed decision-making based on candidates’ policies and merits. CJP also pleaded that this kind of rhetoric diminishes the democratic integrity of the electoral process, as it exploits religious and cultural insecurities.

Furthermore, CJP emphasized that such communal narratives erode public trust in democratic institutions, as high-ranking leaders like Negi set a troubling precedent prioritizing polarization over unity. CJP noted that this rhetoric risks inciting social unrest, which could have lasting consequences for peace and stability in Delhi.

Violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

CJP also brought attention to Negi’s violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), specifically stating that his statements breach guidelines aimed at ensuring free, fair, and peaceful elections. CJP pointed out that Part I of the MCC prohibits activities that aggravate existing communal tensions, which Negi’s comments clearly violate by using religious identity to promote political loyalty. His call for Hindus to vote for BJP based on religious grounds and his derogatory references to Muslims further exemplify this breach. Additionally, CJP emphasized violations under Part V of the MCC, where appeals to religious sentiments in election campaigns are prohibited, stating that Negi’s speech violates this by promoting Hindu identity and vilifying Muslims.

Legal violations under the Representation of People Act, 1951

CJP also referenced legal violations under the Representation of People Act, 1951, specifically Section 123(2), which prohibits undue influence on voters. CJP pleaded that Negi’s religious appeals aim to influence voters by framing voting for BJP as a moral duty, based on religious loyalty rather than policy considerations. CJP further noted that Negi’s appeal violates Section 123(3), which prohibits appeals on religious grounds, as well as Section 123(3A), which prohibits promoting feelings of enmity or hatred between communities for electoral gain. CJP argued that Negi’s divisive rhetoric, which creates hostility between Hindus and Muslims, seeks to exploit these divisions for political advantage, violating multiple sections of the Representation of People Act.

CJP’s complaint to CEO Delhi dated January 10, 2025 may be read here:

Related:

CJP files 3 MCC violation complaints with CEO Maharashtra against Suresh Chavhanke for hate speech

CJP files 5 hate speech complaints before CEO Maharashtra as violated MCC

CJP’s fight against Hate: FIR filed against Suresh Chavhanke for Hate Speech at Karad event

The post Communal Campaign: CJP approached CEO, Delhi against the MCC violation and hate speech by BJP Councillor appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Delhi election results should come as no surprise at all. Right from the very start, it became apparent that Arvind Kejriwal and his party (AAP) will be comfortably returning to power. Their campaigns were about basic civic issues like education and health and it is true that their work was beginning to show real effects on the lives of people, especially the poor. It is extremely heartening to see that some of their best minds have won the elections which shows that given a genuine option, the electorate is wise enough to choose the smartest people. 

However, in many ways, this election was fought over an imaginary Muslim fear. It was stated that Muslims were conspiring to cut Delhi off from the rest of the country; the protests that they were doing was about de-stabilizing India rather than being an outcome of a genuine grievance; and Muslims were conspiring to rape Hindu women if the BJP got defeated in these elections. Words will not be enough to condemn this kind of vitriol against the Muslim community, but then, it appears that even such hate and vitriol did not rouse all the ‘Hindus’ to vote in favour of a particular party. 

Should this victory of AAP give comfort to Muslims? This question is complicated and has no clear-cut answers. Certainly, the BJP did not win in Delhi, but does it mean that their ideology has been defeated? Let us look more closely at the response of AAP to the Muslim protests in the city. Kejriwal’s party maintained a stony silence on the issue of Shaheen Bagh and many other similar protests within Delhi. Forget about going to these sites and showing solidarity with Muslim protestors, he in fact said that left to him, he would clear the protest site within two hours. Throughout his campaign, he refused to utter even a single word on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act or the proposed National Register of Citizens, both issues which have created considerable anxiety and fear within Muslims. Worse still, he hardly campaigned in Muslim areas. 

By not confronting the BJP upfront over their communal politics, the AAP certainly played soft communalism. Many have argued that this soft communalism is good as it helped to keep the hard communalism of BJP out. Certainly, it did. But at what cost? In choosing to remain silent over Muslim demonization, AAP may have won the battle but perhaps it is in the process of losing the war. Only time will tell whether for Kejriwal and his party, this was a strategic silence or he also thinks about Muslims the way many parties think of them. 

It should also be pointed out that it is definitely not a problem when Mr. Kejriwal goes to pay his obeisance to a temple right after this victory or whether or not he should have recited the Hanuman Chalisa during the elections. He has never claimed that he is not a believing Hindu and therefor has every right to exhibit this religiosity as when he feels like. Especially in a situation wherein, the BJP was trying to portray him as a closet Muslim, it made much sense to assert his Hindu self. Those Muslims and secularists who have a problem with his ‘new found’ religiosity must make a difference between cultural Hinduism and political Hinduism. We should never have a problem with cultural Hinduism especially when we are arguing that Muslim religious identity is under considerable stress today. Cultural Hinduism is as much of a positive identity as is Islam or Christianity. It is Hindutva (political Hinduism) which we need to worry about because of its innate desire to create an enemy other without which it cannot survive as an ideology. No wonder, Hindutva is not just a threat to other religious identities, but also to the pluralistic tenets of Hinduism. 

So, no one should have an issue when political personalities partake in the rituals of their own religious traditions. After all, Gandhi was much immersed in his own brand of Hinduism but it did not ever stop him from relentlessly criticizing the failings of his own religious tradition. However, with regards to Kejriwal and his party, things do not stop at just cultural Hinduism rather it goes way beyond. His silence over the hounding of Muslims is a cynical attempt to signal those Hindu voters whose hatred towards Muslims has created this crisis in the first place. The question is whether this kind of a politics will ultimately be successful in stemming the tide of Hindu radicalism? Perhaps not. Despite his silence on core issues affecting the Muslim community, how should we explain that the other side managed to increase its vote share to over 40 percent? The choice between avoiding the evil and confronting it may be a tricky one, but history has always shown that it is the latter which eventually defeats it.   

Yet Muslims have voted overwhelmingly for his party. Kejriwal certainly knew and tapped the insecurity gripping the Muslims. It was as if he did not need their votes, but Muslims needed to vote for him. Like other parties, he also took them for granted because Muslims have not been able to create an alternative political imagination for themselves in this country. Muslims did not have any other option. Even die-hard Congress loyalist voted for the AAP this time because they correctly thought that only AAP could defeat the BJP. This certainly is not new for Muslims; they have voted for the Congress and other regional parties by the same logic. But this is also a reminder that Muslim political representation needs to chart out a new course. A course in which they are able to decide whom to vote for based on some concrete agenda which helps the community. Although many Muslims are opposed to this idea, but many also think that this is an idea whose time has come. 

Arshad Alam is a NewAgeIslam.com columnist

Courtesy: NewAgeIslam.com

The post Why Muslims Need to Look Beyond the Victory of AAP in Delhi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Delhi results are out. Aam Admi Party i.e AAP has won decisively and with a massive mandate, again. This is unique and remarkable: for a party to repeat its performance. With nearly the same vote percentage AAP has won 62 seats out of 70 while the BJP has had to console itself with 8 seats though it got nearly 38.58% of the vote. The Congress party has remained at zero as was the case in the last polls, pulling in Less than 5% vote.

I have always questioned the first past the post system as it is unfair. With a 38% vote a party gets merely 8 seats! The BJP is crying and consoling itself with the vote percentage today. However through the same skewed system, it gained massively during the Lok Sabha polls: with less than this vote percentage it won nearly 70% of the seats in the Lok Sabha.

The AAP victory has consoled many people who now feel that the BJP and Narendra Modi will may learn some lessons, that the arrogant campaign would stop now. Some people have even suggested that Delhi’s people have voted for ‘Bijli-sadak-pani’ and defeated the divisive and hate filled campaigned launched by the BJP.

It is true that the amount of hatred that BJP and its top leadership created in this election was unprecedented. Delhi never saw such kind of filth and vireol in poll language that the Ministers and senior ministers utterer one by one, terming Indian Muslims particularly those living participating at Shaheen Bagh protests as anti national. None less than a union minister, Prakash Javdekar, even called Arvind Kejriwal as terrorist. Some ministers even asked their supporters to fire at the dissenters and protesters. Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Ajay Bisht used the filthiest language ‘boli se nahi goli se baat karenge’. If any other person had spoken that language, the media as well as the Delhi police would have filed cases of sedition against such a person. Clearly, BJP leaders enjoy complete immunity, are free to speak anything and get away with it.

Arvind kejriwal has learnt the art of politics and he used the BJP’s targetting him as terrorist in his campaign. ‘Do I look like terrorist’ he would say, and perhaps this touched a chord with the people though neither Kejriwal nor Narendra Modi can really tell us what a terrorist actually looks like! This then was most unfortunate part of this campaign. Rather than taking the BJP head on and challenging their narrative, political parties are now succumbing to their pressure and trying to prove they are ‘more’ Hindu than the Sanghis. Arvind Kejriwal chanted the Hanuman Chalisa and refused to speak anything on the Shaheen Bagh protests. He did not utter a single word on the JNU and Jamia incidents. Even the Gargi college incident went unreported and only today has the Delhi Commission for Women taken note of it.

Kejriwal was not merely silent on Shaheen Bagh protests but he actually claimed that they were ‘disturbing’ the traffic. It was the same Kejriwal, who never bothered to stop everything in Delhi and the whole Anna movement sponsored by the Sangh Parivar, refused to listen to the Parliament and claim all the people participating in his Ram Leela Ground rally were the ‘real’ India.
AAP has got huge support from the Muslim majority areas as well as all the 12 reserved constituencies have been won by the AAP with a massive mandate.

While, it is good that AAP focused on governance yet we must not forget that AAP is essentially an upper caste party whose major cadres are similar to those in Sangh Parivar and would anyway like to vote to BJP than any secular party in case AAP does not exist. Secondly, the AAP is also product of anti reservation forces, so it is important how AAP tackles the issue of communalism and reservation in coming days.

The issue of governance is important but you can not deny the fact the Sangh Parivar has vitiated the atmosphere in the last 10 years. Any party who want to just claim to focus on ‘Bijli-sadak-pani’ but refuses to speak on issues such as CAA, NRC, communalism and the systematic isolation of India’s 15-20% Muslim population can not fight this crude hatred, politically. We can understand that Muslims have voted for AAP overwhelmingly despite the party’s absolute and disappointing response to the whole issue. AAP has, to date, not even sought clarification on the Delhi police brutalities inflicted on students in Jamia, JNU and Seelampur. By deliberately keeping quiet, AAP actually ensured that the upper caste votebank remained with them. Long term however, while such silence may benefit them politically, it will not provide a bullwark be against the forces of communalism.

That is why, while we appreciate AAP’s victory, we must not ignore the fact that BJP has won nearly 39% votes of the people of Delhi. Secondly, AAP has not challenged BJP ideologically and since Delhi’s people are relatively educated and given AAP’s upper caste background, the Delhi voters voted for the same. Delhi voters will not vote on social justice issues and they may still get influenced by BJP’s narrative. Dont get me wrong, the narrative that BJP has built will rwmain out there –an elephant in the room — to be whipped up at will.

AAP has defeated BJP but the fact is that Hindutva has won. RSS has always fancied that while even if they are not in power, their Hindutva agenda must work. Today, political parties have gone bankrupt as they are unable to challenge this brahmanical hegemony and the main reason is that most of the parties in India are Savarna or brahmin dominated and hence wont challenge the Sangh narrative but only try to prove that they are better Hindus.

There is also a fact that any party other than Congress will be better equipped to challenge the BJP in the state. Anti BJP voters will vote only those forces who are better equipped to defeat BJP. Congress lost in Delhi because the Dalits and Muslims felt that Congress was not in a position to defeat BJP. This will happen in other states as the BJP’s intimidation and oppression has increased so much that people will prefer any party which is better placed to defeat BJP. Congress and all other parties must introspect and build an alliance. For atleast next ten years, all like minded parties who swear by secularism, social justice, federalism and constitutionalism must join hand and contest those places where they are in a position to defeat BJP. We know most of the parties dont believe that they are losing but it is time they leave this manipulation and think according to previous elections and then contest jointly. Akhilesh Yadav in UP, Tejasvi in Bihar, Mamta in Bengal, Stalin in Tamilnadu, Udhav-Sharad Pawar-Congress in Maharashtra should take the lead. In all other places where the parties dont exists, they should stop fielding candidates.

Delhi election shows that people will not vote for highly divisive agendas. They dont appreciate foul language. There may be some bhakts who jump at such language but at the end of the day, people would prefer governance. It is also a fact that people remain polarised and parties need to make out, and re build, the secular narrative powerfully and creatively, not to feel guilty about it.

Democracy without secularism and social justice cant survive and therefore, Delhi’s poll outcome are good in terms of pushing a pro people agenda. Sombrely, we need to also reflect that  the communal and sectarian virus has not been fully defeated. For that to happen, we need strong political leaders who can reach out to minorities, Dalits, OBCs and tribals and ensure their fair representation and participation in power structure. You cant build a narrative without an enabling environment and without proportional representation of India’s diverse communities. India must feel proud of its constitution and its historic and inclusive legacy of the freedom movement. Political parties need to own that and defeat the communal and sectarian forces permanently. Evading the communal question will only strengthen the Hindutva forces even if the other parties win, it is their agenda which will run the government which at the end will be detrimental for the health of democracy itself. Ideologically weak forces suits BJP politically as it will be free from any strong opponent nationally and the party knows it well that it can ‘handle’ them well.

For the moment, we congratulate AAP for its historic victory and hope it will continue to focus on issues concerning the common people and will not shy away from taking a strong stand on the CAA and NRC.

The post Defeated but not yet purged, communal politics of the BJP: Delhi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The filth is growing day by day and the desperation on the faces when the entire cabinet and a rabble-rousing chief minister from neighbouring state is campaigning. The focus is on Pakistan and ‘terrorism’ and not the basic amenities of the people. It is deeply shocking the way BJP leadership has turned the Delhi elections into an India-Pakistan battle!

BJP will have to introspect in longer run whether it want to remain a political party or a rabble-rousing militia pushing one Indian against the other. Why is the party not responding to the issues of the people of Delhi? Why is it important for the party to term every opposition leader as anti national? Does it have any leader who participated in the freedom movement? It does not have anybody, yet it wants to hijack the legacy of the freedom movement where all Indians irrespective of their caste and religious identity joined hand to compel the British out of this country.

Delhi’s elections have become important now. I never thought that a small state like Delhi will be so important for the leadership that they are ready to vitiate the atmosphere of the Delhi which has never been that bad since 1984 when the Congress goons along with the Sanghi mindset and goons unleashed violence on innocent Sikhs and carried out the pogrom of them in Delhi. We never saw that hatred since then.

Why is this environment of hatred being created here? The Ministers are the custodians of our constitution and they need to protect it. Instead, they are violating and speaking in the most vulgar language. The pathetic helplessness of Election Commission does not bode well for our healthy democracy. The Election Commission should not only bar these Ministers or leaders permanently from the election campaign but should file FIR with an intent that any future repetition might force the Commission to even request the loss of their membership from Parliament or Assemblies.

A peaceful protest in Shaheen Bagh and many other places have now been vilified by the BJP. Why is that happening? Why you bothering about it? Do people have no right to protest? Does anybody in the government care why these women, with children, a large number of those, with infants too, are sitting for last fifty days? Why is it that women who rarely venture out in night or daily, out of their home, are here, shouting slogans for justice? And the answer is clear, that never in post independent India, the Muslims have felt that much insecure and threatened as they are feeling today and the government and the BJP in particular seem to enjoy this insecurity.

Now, BJP might feel and understand that the fear of the people has gone and they are ready to fight till get justice. When all avenues of peaceful protests are shut, people will do at the places nearby their homes. Shaheen Bagh has redefined our political protests. I want to salute these bold women who have taught all of us so many things including their faith in democracy and India’s secular ethos.

Two youngsters who are openly Hindutva inspired and caught up firing at Jamia and Shaheen Bagh in the last two days were spared by people. In any Sanghi meeting, such youngsters of the opposite side would have been lynched or police would have done so but the best side of this is the complete show of non violent protest of Shaheen Bagh women is a shining example. It will be the among the most outstanding form of protests, if ever we write the history of protest movements in India. It has given voice, ideas and provided hope to all of us.

Today, Shaheen Bagh complete 50 days of this historical protest and we see the Hindutva propaganda machinery in full swing terming it ‘anti-national’ and asking the people of Delhi to mobilise against it. Attempt are being made to intimidate people and polarise the Delhi voters.

We have seen how the present leadership of the BJP came to from all the protests in the name of Ram Mandir. Disruptions of normal life, damage to public property, stones at police as well as Muslim localities were ‘normal’ characteristics of Hindutva protests apart from chanting of deliberate provocative slogans but none of them ever got a notice for damaging public property.

The same leaders today say that we should not protests as it creates ‘disturbance’ to the common people. Well, in 1990, we had a prime minister who our Savarna media forget and his name was V P Singh. He had the courage to speak up and act. He fulfilled his promise to give the OBCs their due in jobs by accepting the recommendations of Mandal Commission, which sought 27% reservation for them. BJP started its Ram Mandir movement afterwards and Advani’s infamous Somnath Ayodhya yatra began which left a trail of blood of innocents in every place it traveled. Finally, the yatra had to be stopped at Samastipur, in Bihar on October 23rd, 1990 as the Prime Minister ordered Bihar Chief minister Lalu Yadav to not allow the yatra beyond Bihar as it was bound to disturb peace in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Hindu media and the brahmanical reporters vilified V P Singh despite the fact that he was protecting the Constitution of India. When the savarna children were forced to commit suicide by the C grade journalism of Arun Shourie, that Arnab now follow on TV, V P Singh spoke about the pain and talked to them. He spoke about the dangers of the theocratic state and how BJP want to create it before his resignation. That time, many felt that he was wrong but if any one want to know the politics of BJP, they should read those lectures and talks of V P Singh but he was the ‘worst’ human being for this manuwadi media. That is how they build narrative and distort history.

Narendra Modi has not spoken a word about Rohit Vemula’s death, about student protests, about CAA, about so many things that haunted us in the last five years. Instead, his juniors as well as seniors were building conspiracy ‘theories’ to discredit all these movements and yet our media did not have the capacity to ask question to him. The man who hates to speak to media yet media loves him so much!

It is time for prime minister Narendra Modi to speak up to the young boys picking up guns. Invoking Gandhi’s name for cleanliness may be good but please do speak to your cadres to come out of hatred. Hate will take India nowhere. Let us be very clear, India’s image has already damaged in the world and if we are trying to evade these questions through ‘artificial intelligence’ then we will be disappointed as the world has started reacting. BJP leaders should focus on governance and not threaten people for their differing views. Pushing people against people will not resolve any issues. Now, our youth understand what is needed for a stronger India. It is the strength of us all, its diverse cultural value system, its Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Adivasis, Dalits, non believers, atheists, humanists.

India has chronic poverty, and many still go hungry. We still have huge gender disparity. Caste violence against Dalits is rampant. Untouchability persists, education system is in a mess. Land Reforms never happened. Forest Rights not being granted to Adivasis. Our hospitals don’t have enough infrastructure, doctors.

Let us focus on these issues to make us stronger. We will only be stronger if we respect each other, live in complete harmony, enjoy our diversity and treat all citizen equal as our Constitution define. We can’t have different categories of citizens.

Let the Delhi Elections focus on people’s issues like education, health, housing, water, electricity and of course our living together as citizen of India. Let Delhi remain the vibrant hub of multiculturalism that reflects a kind of mini India where every one irrespective of their faith, language, region or identity can thrive and progress. We hope people of Delhi will vote on these lines and defeat the forces who don’t want to speak on the agenda of Delhi but on the agenda of Pakistan.

The post Delhi elections: What’s Pak got to do with it? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Sunday demanded that the Election Commission (EC) ban Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath from campaigning in the national capital over his allegedly provocative speeches and also demanded that an FIR be lodged against him.

. @AamAadmiParty complaint to Election Commission of India demanding a complete ban on UP CM @myogiadityanath for his provocative speeches & FIR u/s 153 IPC for hate speeches. pic.twitter.com/ZIKewLNF2q

— Vikas Yogi (@vikaskyogi) February 2, 2020

At a rally on February 1, the UP CM had allegedly stated that those who supported terrorists were the ones who were staging a protest at Shaheen Bagh and raising slogans of ‘azaadi’.

U.P CM @myogiadityanath fans the flame & says ‘those who support terrorists in Kashmir are staging protests in Shaheen Bagh and raising slogans of Azadi’. | #ShaheenBaghShooting pic.twitter.com/IfA5aa0lcP

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) February 1, 2020

Later, Sanjay Singh told reporters at a press conference that it had been 48 hours since the AAP had asked the EC to meet them, but their request hadn’t been considered.

He had said, “If the EC does not give us time, we will stage a sit-in in front of the ECI office on Monday.”

“हमने परसों चुनाव आयोग से समय माँगा था, लेकिन ये बहुत दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है कि चुनाव आयोग ने अभी तक समय नहीं दिया है।

अगर चुनाव आयोग कल 12 बजे तक समय नहीं देता है तो हम कल 12 बजे के बाद चुनाव आयोग के बाहर धरना देंगे” – @SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/5794B6FZi0

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 2, 2020

However, the terrorist trope against Kejriwal doesn’t seem to die down. After BJP Minister Parvesh Varma allegedly called Kejriwal a terrorist and was banned from campaigning by the EC, his words have now been reportedly repeated by BJP election-in-charge Prakash Javadekar who also asserted that there was “plenty of evidence” to prove the claim.

#WATCH Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in Delhi: Kejriwal is making an innocent face & asking if he is a terrorist, you are a terrorist, there is plenty of proof for it. You yourself had said you are an anarchist, there is not much difference between an anarchist & a terrorist. pic.twitter.com/vRjkvFKGEO

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2020

After this statement, Sanjay Singh tweeted to BJP saying that if they had proof of Kejriwal being a terrorist, they should dare to arrest him.

“आज फिर अरविंद केजरीवाल को आतंकवादी कहा गया। शर्म आनी चाहिए केंद्रीय मंत्री @PrakashJavdekar को।

मैं पूरी भाजपा को चुनौती देता हूं अगर अरविंद केजरीवाल आतंकवादी है तो गिरफ्तार करके दिखाओ” – @SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/SHDIliYHa3

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 3, 2020

Not only this, BJP leader Kapil Mishra too once again made a contentious remark when he said that the AAP should be renamed to ‘Muslim League’ and accused them of doing ‘Jinnah politics’.

Kapil Mishra, BJP candidate from Model Town assembly constituency: Vehicles were set ablaze & cops were thrashed in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) & Congress are behind it. Arvind Kejriwal is doing the politics of Jinnah, AAP’s new name should be Muslim League. #DelhiElections2020 pic.twitter.com/K5g47LgMwc

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2020

https://twitter.com/KapilMishra_IND/status/1224166793222078464  

Kapil Mishra had been banned by the EC from campaigning for the elections for 48 hours after he had said that Delhi would witness India v/s Pakistan on February 8, the day of the assembly elections.

The situation in Delhi has worsened after back-to-back incidents of firing on peaceful protestors, first near Jamia Millia Islamia University and then at Shaheen Bagh. With provocative speeches instigating the right-wingers to take law into their own hands, Delhi has become a hotbed for violence against those protesting against the CAA-NPR-NRC

Related:

Another shooting at Jamia

Election Commission fires Delhi DCP Chinmoy Biswal

Locals gather against Shaheen Bagh protestors; chant provocative slogans

The post BJP’s Yogi and Javadekar call Kejriwal ‘terrorist’ appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Twitter is toxic. Everyone knows it. But few have contributed as much to turning it into the veritable cesspool it has become today as Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga. Which is why it was surprising to many when he was given a BJP ticket to contest the upcoming Delhi elections.

BJP released a new list of candidates on Monday midnight which included Bagga who is also one of the party’s many spokespersons. He was appointed BJP spokesperson in March 2017. On being given the ticket, Bagga announced his candidacy using a rap song and #Bagga4HariNagar

You may sample the cringe-fest here at your own risk.

A bulk of Bagga’s “fame” comes from vile and despicable social media posts that have helped him cultivate over 6 lakh followers on Twitter. He routinely targets dissenters, activists and pro-democracy voices by labelling them all as anti-national. Often, he makes outrageous claims about the morality or patriotism of people he targets. Sample this:

Muslim and Leftists students in Mumbai again Raised Slogans “Hinduo se Aazadi” but this time not in Jamia or JNU , they raised Hinduo se Aazadi Slogans at Gateway of India Mumbai. Will @MumbaiPolice @OfficeofUT take action or support this goons Silently ? pic.twitter.com/7Cq9ci8tE5

— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) January 6, 2020

He has also tweeted in poor taste about actor-activist Swara Bhaskar

Your hands may be busy doing useless things. https://t.co/JN8M9bVNpH

— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) November 29, 2018

Here is his recent tweet criticizing actor Deepika Padukone for attending an anti-CAA protest in Delhi:

RT if you will Boycott Movies of @deepikapadukone for her Support to #TukdeTukdeGang and Afzal Gang pic.twitter.com/LN5rpwjDmT

— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) January 7, 2020

Bagga is the founder of a group that targets these so-called anti-nationals. The group is called Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena.

But, Bagga’s most notable diatribe though has been reserved for senior advocate and civil society member Prashant Bhushan. In fact, Bagga shot to fame in 2011 when he barged into the Supreme Court chambers of the senior lawyer and assaulted Bhushan for his views on Kashmir.

In fact, the following exchange transpired on Twitter soon after Bagga announced his candidacy:

From abusing Army to Demanding Referendum in Kashmir to Throwing from AAP, Prashant Bhushan has come a long way https://t.co/NWAY4KgpTe

— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) January 21, 2020

Elections for 70 seats of the Legislative Assembly will be held on February 8 in Delhi. While, Bagga was believed to be keen on contesting from Tilak Nagar, he was given a ticket from Hari Nagar. Aam Aadmi Party’s Jagdeep Singh had won the constituency in 2013 and 2015. This time the AAP candidate is Rajkumar Dhillon and the UPA has fielded Surender Sethi.

The post Who is Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga? appeared first on SabrangIndia.