Hyderabad BJP Candidate Madhavi Latha Booked After Video of Her Checking Voter ID Cards Surfaces

Telangana Police has registered a case against BJP's Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat candidate, Madhavi Latha after a video showed her checking the voter ID cards of burqa-clad Muslim women when she visited a polling station. She has been charged with influencing the voters, obstructing the government official from discharging duties and inciting to act against a community.

Hyderabad: The BJP candidate from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, K Madhavi Latha has been booked by Hyderabad police, on charges of violating the Representation of People Act and interfering with the electoral process, on Monday.

In a video posted on social media, she was seen asking some burqa-clad Muslim women voters to reveal their faces in order to establish their identity. In reply to one of the posts on social media, Hyderabad Collector wrote: "A case is registered in Malakpet Police Station against Smt Madhavi Latha, Contesting candidate, BJP under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act"

What Are The Charges?

In the Indian Penal Code(IPC), Sections 171C deals with "undue influence at elections" while 186 deals with “obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions.” Section 505(1)(c) tackles "statements conducing to public mischief with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community". Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act deals with the penalty for misconduct at the polling station.

What Latha Did?

In the video, she was seen asking a burqa-clad woman to lift her veil, which the latter does. There is another woman sitting next and is seen voluntarily pulling down her veil as her turn of Latha's 'inspection' came. Latha was heard asking the second woman who she was after seeing her photo ID proof. The BJP leader was heard asking for an alternate ID card to establish the identity of the woman. At this juncture, we see the polling official present at the scene explaining to Latha that all were being properly verified. Latha was also seen warning a woman polling official to allow the voters to exercise their rights only after proper verification of the ID cards.

Latha's Response

Speaking to the media about the video, the BJP leader said that she had only requested the women to verify their identity and there was nothing wrong with this. "I'm a candidate. As per law, the candidate has the right to check the ID cards without the facemasks. I'm not a man. I'm a woman and with a lot of humbleness, I've 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 said, "90 per cent 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..."

Earlier in the day, Latha had alleged discrepancies in the voter list in her constituency. "The Police personnel seem very dull, they're not active, they're 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 claimed.

Latha cast her vote at the Amrita Vidyalayam polling station in Hyderabad in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Latha is taking on a four-time Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha Constituency. BRS has fielded Gaddam Srinivas Yadav and Congress has fielded Mohammad Waliullah Sameer.

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