BJP Candidate Madhavi Latha Checks Voter ID Of Muslim Women, FIR Lodged

New Delhi: As the Lok Sabha elections are going across the country, Telangana is voting for all seats in Phase 4 today. One of the 17 seats is Hyderabad where BJP's Madhavi Latha is locked in a fierce contest with sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Now, a video of BJP candidate Madhavi Latha has gone viral on social media where she was seen checking the voter ID cards of Muslin women in burqa after which the police filed an FIR against her.

BJP leader Madhavi Latha also defended her act and said that as per law, candidates have the right to check their ID cards without the facemasks. "I am a candidate. As per law 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.

#WATCH | Telangana: BJP candidate from Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, Madhavi Latha visits a polling booth in the constituency. Voting for the fourth phase of #LokSabhaElections2024 is underway. pic.twitter.com/BlsQXRn80C — ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024

She further informed that female constables are not instructed to match the faces of voters with their ID cards. "90% of booths are compromised. Police do not want to instruct female constables to check the face with the voter ID. When I asked the police officer, he said it's not his responsibility," she alleged.

However, after the video went viral, the police filed an FIR under sections 171C, 186, 505 (1) C of IPC against her.

Asaduddin Owaisi has been the elected representative from Hyderabad since 2004. He was previously elected as an MLA twice in the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh.