Sharma slapped notice for speech

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from east Delhi B.L. Sharma ‘Prem’ has been booked for delivering hate speech during his campaign in North-East Delhi. A notice has also been issued seeking explanation for the same.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from east Delhi B.L. Sharma ‘Prem’ has been booked for delivering hate speech during his campaign in North-East Delhi. A notice has also been issued seeking explanation for the same.

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After viewing the video purportedly showing Sharma making the offensive remarks, Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan said the Commission issued a notice to him asking him to reply to it by 5 p.m. on Friday.

Sharma had allegedly said, “Muslims, you should go to Pakistan...If you want to remain in India you will have to sing Vande Mataram (national song).” He had also said, “We will fire at those who kill us” while referring to death of Delhi Police Inspector M.C. Sharma.

In another election rally, he had claimed that if Afzal Guru's name had been Mohan Singh, he would have been hanged the same day.

Balakrishnan said the Commission saw the videos and decided to register a case against Sharma with Harsh Vihar police station under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Representation of People’s Act.

Seventynine-year-old Sharma is pitted against Delhi Congress committee president J.P. Aggarwal.

The case against the BJP candidate, a former MP, comes almost a month after Varun Gandhi was charged under National Security Act for making hate speeches against Muslims.