The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Owaisi challenger’s ‘arrow towards mosque’ gesture sparks row
THE BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Hyderabad, Kompella Madhavi Latha, has courted controversy after a video of her gesturing shooting an arrow, purportedly in the direction of a mosque, came to light.
Latha was participating in a Ram Navami procession in old Hyderabad, and riding an opentop vehicle. The rally had been organised by BJP MLA T Raja Singh.
During the festivities, the mosque had been covered in white cloth to avoid communal tensions. The BJP candidate, who has in the past spoken about her work for Pasmanda Muslims and who has been picked to take on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi from the seat, took to X to issue an explanation.
“It has come to my notice that one video of mine is being circulated in media to create negativity. I would like to clarify that it’s an incomplete video and even because of such video if any one’s sentiments are hurt then I would like to apologise as I respect all individuals,” she wrote.
An election campaign manager working with her said: “As it was Ram Navami, she had been doing the same gesture for several minutes, long before the mosque came into view. Even in this short clip, she is gesturing towards her left while the mosque is ahead and to the right,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Owaisi called Latha’s gesture provocative, objectionable and vulgar, and appealed to the electorate to vote for peace and prosperity of Hyderabad. He also questioned the Election Commission, the Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, the District Election Officer and the Chief Electoral Officer for not taking suo motu action against the BJP candidate.
An AIMIM official said they would write to the Election
Commission and lodge a police complaint against her.
An EC spokesperson did not respond to request for a comment on whether the EC had received a complaint on the incident and taken any action.
In an interview to The Indian Express earlier, the 49-year-old had said: “The BJP would not have picked me at all if Hindumuslim was my poll issue. The party knows I work with a lot of Muslims and I am compassionate towards them. I have been a fierce critic of triple talaq. If I can go on a hunger strike for a temple, I will do the same for a Muslim woman.”