Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh on Friday ordered the police to file a first information report against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra, following a direction from the Election Commission of India, the Hindustan Times reported.

Singh told the police to register an FIR in connection with Mishra’s remark suggesting that the upcoming Delhi elections were like an “India vs Pakistan match”. Singh told the Delhi Police to file the FIR under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which relates to corrupt practices and electoral offences, for trying to create communal tension, The Times of India reported.

Advertisement

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had asked Twitter to remove Mishra’s tweet, calling it “highly objectionable”. The returning officer of the poll panel had earlier sent a show-cause notice to the BJP leader.

Mishra is the BJP candidate for the polls from Model Town in North Delhi, and is up against Aam Aadmi Party MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi.

In another tweet on Thursday, with which he shared an article about Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia expressing solidarity with the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protestors at Shaheen Bagh, Mishra claimed: “Aam Aadmi Party and Congress have created mini-Pakistans like Shaheen Bagh. In response, Hindustan will face them on February 8. Whenever the anti-nationals create a Pakistan in India, the nationalists’ Hindustan will face them.”

Mishra remained unapologetic on Friday, and accused the Congress and AAP of playing communal politics. “Who is playing the Hindu-Muslim card,” he asked in a tweet. “Manish Sisodia who says he is with Shaheen Bagh protesters? Priyanka Gandhi who supports those who burned vehicles at Turkman Gate in Delhi? Kejriwal who is distributing Rs 5 lakh to hooligans? Who is giving tickets to people like Amanatullah [Khan] and Shoaib Iqbal, known for making provocative speeches?”