Delhi, February 23: Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Saturday said that hate speeches cost the party the Delhi elections. Speaking to The Indian Express, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said that action should be taken against those who give communal speeches. In Delhi assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 62 out of 70 seats, while the saffron party secured just eight seats. Delhi Election Results 2020: Amit Shah Says 'BJP May Have Suffered Due to Hate Speeches by Party Leaders', Admits His Assessment on Outcome Went Wrong.

Asked about BJP MP Parvesh Verma calling Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal a "terrorist", Tiwari told The Indian Express that "I condemned that speech. And I did that before the elections. The Prime Minister and Home Minister have also condemned it.” Amit Shah Must Apologise For Working as 'Hate Minister', Leading 'Extremist Communal Campaign': CPM After BJP Rout in Delhi Elections 2020.

Tiwari told the newspaper that whichever political leader gives hate speech should face action, even if it is Kapil Mishra who chanted "Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko (shoot the traitors)" at a rally in support of Citizenship Law in December.

Manoj Tiwari also admitted that having no Chief Minister face may have cost the party. Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that hate speeches like "Indo Pak match" and "goli maro" should not have been made during the polls.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2020 04:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).