BJP sends massage against ‘Big Mouth’ MPs

By dropping 3 MPs from the first list of candidates, BJP sends clear massage that it will not take chances ahead of an election in which it going to face joint Opposition. These three firebrand leader-- Pragya Thakur, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri, have made headlines for their controversial remarks inside and outside Parliament.

In Bhopal, the BJP has replaced Pragya Thakur with Alok Sharma. An accused in the 2008 Malegaon bombings case, the firebrand leader's nomination last time had sparked a huge row. The five years since then have seen her getting caught in several controversies. Out on bail on health grounds, Ms Thakur has been seen playing kabaddi and attending garba nights. But the controversy that may have harmed her the most is a statement in which she called Nathuram Godse, the man who shot Mahatma Gandhi dead, a "patriot".

The remark drew a stern response from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The remarks made about Gandhiji or Nathuram Godse are very bad and very wrong for society. She has sought an apology, but I would never be able to forgive her fully," he said. Five years on, Ms Thakur has lost her seat.

Other key omission in the BJP list that surprised many was West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma. A two-time MP and son of former Chief Minister, late Sahib Singh Verma, is known to have a strong support base. But the 46-year-old leader has been in the news for his inciting remarks.

Ahead of the 2020 Delhi elections, Mr Verma had made controversial remarks during the Shaheen Bagh protest and said the demonstrators would be cleared in an hour if the BJP came to power in the national capital. 

In 2022, Mr Verma hit headlines again, this time for a public boycott call seemingly aimed at Muslims. "Wherever you see them, if you want to fix their head, if you want to set them straight, then the only cure is total boycott. Raise your hand if you agree," the BJP MP had said.

Another MP who may have been axed for his remarks is South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri. During a discussion in Lok Sabha in September last year, Mr Bidhuri used Islamophobic slurs for Amroha MP Danish Ali. The derogatory remarks were caught on camera and sparked a huge row. While the South Delhi MP later apologised, the BJP's first list shows it was not enough.