All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for targeting Muslim women and creating obstacles for them during the voting process.
The Delhi unit of the BJP has called for “proper verification” of women voters wearing burqas on Wednesday.
In a recent post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Owaisi wrote, “The Delhi unit of the BJP has told the Election Commission that there should be special checking of women in burqas. During the recent Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, their candidate publicly insulted and harassed Muslim women. In every election, the BJP finds some excuse or the other to harass and target Muslim women.”
Furthermore, he questioned, “The Election Commission has clear rules and regulations for women who observe purdah. Whether they are in burqa, veil, or mask, no one is allowed to vote without verification. So why did the BJP have to make such a special demand?”
He added, “In every election, the BJP finds some excuse or the other to harass and target Muslim women.”
The controversy started after a purported video surfaced on May 20, 2024, showing Madhavi Latha, the BJP candidate, inspecting the voter ID cards of Muslim women wearing burqas at a polling booth.
In the video, Latha can be seen asking Muslim women to remove their burqas and verify their identities along with checking their voter IDs.
Clarifying her actions, Latha stated, “I am a candidate. As per the law, a candidate has the right to check ID cards without face masks. 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 the ID cards? If somebody wants to make a big issue out of it, that means they are scared.”
Reportedly, a case has been filed against her, including charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act. The case has been filed under sections 171C, 186, and 505(1)(c) of the Indian Penal Code and section 132 of the Representation of the People Act.
