News Brief
BJP's Hyderabad Candidate Madhavi Latha Defends Checking IDs Of Burqa-Clad Women At Poll Booth, Labels FIRs As 'Medals For Telling Truth'
Madhavi Latha, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Hyderabad
BJP's candidate for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, Madhavi Latha, courted controversy after a video emerged, allegedly showing her checking the identities of Muslim women in burqa at a polling station.
After the video went viral, an FIR was registered against her by the police.
Defending her move, Latha stated that she received information that the presiding officer of the booth had caught a minor girl casting her vote.
"We got the information that the presiding officer caught a minor girl casting her vote... They are not registering an FIR. They are free to register an FIR on me but not on others... My FIR started from 'Ram Baan'... I am getting the medal-like FIRs for telling the truth..." Latha told news agency ANI.
This is not the first time that an FIR has been filed against the 35-year-old.
Last month, a video of Latha pretending to draw and fire an arrow while near a mosque drew widespread criticism.
She later denied aiming for the mosque but issued a public apology for hurting religious sentiments.
Latha defended her actions as an attempt to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, alleging that 90 per cent of booths are compromised.
Latha claimed that she intervened due to the alleged inaction of the female police officers at the polling booth.
"I am a candidate. As per law, the candidate has the right to check the ID cards without the facemasks. I am not a man, I am a woman and with a lot of humbleness, I have only requested them - can I please see and verify with the ID cards? If somebody wants to make a big issue out of it, that means they are scared," she said.
Latha is challenging four-time Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and BRS pick Gaddam Srinivas Yadav.
This marks the first time the BJP has fielded a female candidate from the Hyderabad constituency.
