EC Imposes 48-hour Campaigning Ban on BJP's Kapil Mishra After Controversial Tweets

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday imposed a 48-hour campaigning ban on BJP candidate from Delhi's Model Town constituency Kapil Mishra following his controversial tweets, poll panel officials said.

The ban order, signed by the Chief Election Commissioner and two fellow Election Commissioners, would come into force from 5 pm on Saturday, they said.

While Twitter had taken down one of his controversial tweets on Friday following directions of the EC, an FIR was lodged against him under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act dealing with creating enmity among classes.

Mishra on Thursday termed the protest sites against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the national capital as "mini-Pakistan" and said the upcoming assembly elections will be a contest "on Delhi roads between India and Pakistan".

"Pakistan rioters have encroached on the roads of Delhi (Pakistan ki entry Shaheen Bagh mein ho chuki hain. Delhi mein chhote chhote Pakistan Banaye ja rahe hain. Shaheen Bagh, Chand Bagh, Indralok mein desk ka kanoon nahi mana jaa raha hain. Pakistani dangayiyo ka Delhi ki sadko pe kabza)," he had said in a tweet.

For over a month, hundreds of people, primarily Muslim women, have been staging a protest at Shaheen Bagh in south Delhi.

"India vs Pakistan 8th February Delhi. There will a contest on Delhi Roads between India and Pakistan on February 8," Mishra had said. "Pakistan has already entered Shaheen Bagh and small pockets of Pakistan are being created in Delhi."

In another post, Mishra asserted that the BJP will win the February 8 elections and Kejriwal will resign from his post when votes are counted on February 11.The former AAP leader was removed as minister by Kejriwal in 2017. Last year, he was also disqualified as AAP MLA under the anti-defection law.

Mishra, who has often found himself in controversy, faces AAP MLA Akhileshpati Tripathi in the elections. He was criticised for a tweet with communal overtones during Diwali last year. The post was later taken down by Twitter for violating its guidelines.

Delhi goes to poll on February 8.