BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma on Sunday called for the "boycott of a community" while speaking at the 'Virat Hindu Sabha' in Delhi organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's local unit. The MP from West Delhi however did not name any community during his address at the rally.
The video of the rally was later shared on social media and people condemned the BJP leader's speech.
According to reports, the event was held in Northeast Delhi's Dilshad Garden to protest the killing of a man, named as Manish, who was stabbed to death in East Delhi's Sunder Nagri last week. The people accused of killing him were identified as Sajid, Aalam, Bilal, Faizan, Mohsin and Shakir.
The Indian Express quoted Verma saying that he had "not named any religious community". He said that the "families whose members carry out such killings should be boycotted."
Here is all you need to know about the incident:
What did Parvesh Verma say?
Verma called for a "total boycott" of a community "to fix them". "To fix them, wherever you see them, the only way out is a total boycott," he can be heard saying in the minute-long video clip that is doing rounds on social media. The crowd then cheers as he asks them to raise their hands if they agree with him.
"Repeat after me. We will do a total boycott of them and will not buy anything from their shops or carts and will not give them any work," Verma says while addressing the crowd as he asks them to take the pledge.
Who is Parvesh Verma?
Verma, 44, is a BJP leader and an MP from West Delhi. His father Sahib Singh Verma was the chief minister of Delhi, while his uncle Azad Singh has been the mayor of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).
His speech at the right-wing rally in the national capital on Sunday wasn't his first communally charged speech. Back in January 2020 when anti-CAA protests were being held in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, Verma had said these protesting Muslims would rape and kill the Hindu women.
"The people of Delhi know that the fire that raged in Kashmir a few years ago, where the daughters and sisters of Kashmiri Pandits were raped…caught on in UP, Hyderabad, Kerala, the same fire is raging in a corner in Delhi. Lakhs of people gather there. This fire can reach the residences of Delhi anytime. People of Delhi will have to decide wisely. These people will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them. There's time today, Modi ji and Amit Shah won't come to save you tomorrow," he had said at that time.
This was also the time when Delhi was gearing up for Assembly elections. He even threatened to raze any "mosque built on government land."
"This is not just another election. It is an election to decide the unity of a nation. If the BJP comes to power on February 11, you will not find a single protester within an hour. And within a month, we will not spare a single mosque built on government land," NDTV quoted Verma saying.
Taking note of his hate speech, the Election Commission on January 30, 2020 banned Verma from holding any public meetings, public processions, rallies, roadshows, and interviews, for 96 hours.
He was barred again for 24 hours on February 5, 2020 for violating the Model Code of Conduct after he compared Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to a terrorist.
Political leaders condemn Verma's speech
Political leaders condemned Verma's statement that called for a boycott of Muslims. AIMI chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the "BJP has started the war against Muslims" and accused home minister Amit Shah and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of remaining silent.