BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Hyderabad, Madhavi Latha, has found herself in soup after her gesture at an election rally pretending to draw and fire an arrow while near a mosque on Wednesday during a Ram Navami rally.
In a now-viral clip, Latha, dressed in saffron and with a garland of yellow flowers around her neck, makes a dramatic flourish. She pretends to draw an arrow from a quiver on her back, notches the pretend arrow, and then fires the imaginary weapon, at which point loud music is played. The online clip pans to show the mosque when she fires the ‘arrow’.
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AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the action and called it “vulgar, obscene, and provocative”. He accused the BJP and the RSS of wanting to “disturb the peace of the city”.
“BJP, RSS people have shown provocative actions, I appeal to the youth of Hyderabad, you observe what the BJP and RSS are doing to the peace of Hyderabad, and utilise your vote accordingly. The BJP and RSS want to disturb the peace of the city. You want to spoil the people of Hyderabad. People have seen their actions. Is this Narendra Modi’s ‘Sabka saath, Sabka Vikas’?” Owaisi said.
Madhavi Latha is contesting against Owaisi, who has held the Hyderabad seat since 2004 and his father, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, since 1989.
After drawing ire for the video, she posted a statement on X on Thursday evening and apologised “if anyone’s feelings are hurt”. However, she also claimed the video circulated is “incomplete”.
The BJP leader posted on X, “It has come to my notice that a video of mine is being circulated in the media to create negativity. I would like to clarify that this is an incomplete video and if anyone’s feelings are hurt due to such a video, I would like to apologise…”
“Yesterday, on the occasion of Ram Navami, I was gesturing shooting an (imaginary) arrow towards the sky. I released that arrow toward a building, that’s it. Where did the mosque come from?” she told PTI.
“These people (AIMIM) always resort to hateful speeches to sideline BJP leaders here and divert people’s attention. They have become experts in inciting the youth. This is a conspiracy,” she added.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, all 17 seats in Telangana will vote on May 17. The results will be declared on June 4.
