SP leader’s ‘vote jehad’ talk lands INDIA bloc in trouble
FARRUKHABAD: Seeking votes for the INDIA bloc candidate from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam made an appeal for “vote jehad”, terming it as necessary in the current situation for the minority community to drive away the BJP government.
Alam, who is also the niece of senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, while addressing an election meeting on Monday in the presence of senior Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, made an appeal for “vote jehad”, saying “in the current situation, ‘vote jehad’ is necessary for the minority community”.
Speaking in Kaimganj in support of INDIA bloc candidate Naval Kishore Shakya, Alam said, “Together do vote jehad -- with intelligence, without being sentimental and with silence. As we can only do vote jehad to drive away this Sanghi government.”
Stressing that it was time to join hands, she said otherwise this “Sanghi government will succeed in wiping out our existence”.
“People say that Constitution and democracy are under threat. But I say that insaniyat (humanity) is under threat. “Now there is an attack on ‘insaniyat’. If you want to save the country, its beauty and ‘ganga-jamuni’ (composite) culture, then vote very intelligently without getting influenced by anyone,” she stressed.
In the public meeting, Khurshid took part as the chief guest. The video of Alam’s statement has gone viral on social media.
When asked to comment on the statement of his niece, Salman Khurshid said generally he avoids using such words because its literal meaning is misinterpreted.
“Jehad means to fight against a situation. Her intention must have been to carry out vote jihad to protect the Constitution,” he said.