BJP's Madhavi Latha booked for asking voters to lift burqa
The Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Hyderabad, Kompella Madhavi Latha was booked on Monday for asking burqa-clad Muslim women at a polling booth to reveal their faces for identity verification. The alleged incident took place during the polling for Phase 4 of the Lok Sabha elections at booth number 122 at Azampur in Hyderabad constituency. A purported video of the incident has gone viral drawing sharp reactions from various quarters.
Case against Latha booked at Malakpet police station
A case has been registered against Latha under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of Indian Penal Code and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act at Malakpet Police Station, Hyderabad Collector's office confirmed in an X post. Latha is contesting against four time MP from Hyderabad and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Notably, Owaisi has shared Latha's viral video on his X timeline but is yet to comment on the incident.
'No candidate has right to lift veil for identification'
Earlier, District Election Officer Ronald Ross had clarified that no candidate has the right to lift someone's veil for identity verification. If there is any suspicion, a candidate can request the polling officer to verify a voter's identity. However, Latha defended her action saying,"I am a candidate. As per law, a candidate has the right to check ID cards without facemasks." "I am not a man...I am a woman and with a lot of humility, I requested them," she added.
Watch: Latha's video that triggered a controversy
Latha alleges discrepancy in voter list
Earlier in the day, Latha also alleged discrepancies in the voter list. "The police personnel seem very dull, they are not active...They are not checking anything. Senior citizen voters are coming here but their names are deleted from the list. A few of them are residents of Goshamahal but their names are in the list of Rangareddy," she told ANI.
