BJP candidate who pretended to aim imaginary arrow at mosque pleads innocence

The BJP candidate in Hyderabad, Madhavai Latha, is seen in a video pretending to draw and fire an arrow while in close proximity to a mosque during a Ram Navami rally held on Wednesday. The video, which quickly went viral on social media platforms, sparked outrage, with many condemning it as vulgar, obscene, and provocative.

The 10-second clip shows Latha, adorned in saffron attire with a garland of yellow flowers around her neck, making a theatrical motion as if drawing an arrow from a quiver on her back, notching it, and then firing the imaginary weapon.

The footage then pans to reveal a mosque at the moment she mimics releasing the arrow. The incident occurred during a rally organized to mark the occasion of Ram Navami.

Following the backlash, Latha took to social media platform X on Thursday evening to address the controversy. In her statement, she expressed regret "if anyone's feelings are hurt" but also claimed that the circulated video was "incomplete."

Latha defended her actions, stating that she was merely gesturing to shoot an imaginary arrow towards the sky and had directed it towards a building, questioning the emergence of the mosque in the video.

Asserting that there was a conspiracy against the BJP, Latha accused the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) of attempting to sideline BJP leaders and incite hatred among the youth.

However, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi rebuked Latha's explanation, labelling the gesture as vulgar and provocative. Owaisi, a long-standing critic of the BJP, emphasized the importance of peace and communal harmony in Hyderabad and vowed that the city's residents would not tolerate such actions.

"The people of Hyderabad have seen the BJP's intentions," Owaisi remarked. "They will not accept vulgar and provocative actions by the BJP and RSS." He underscored the significance of preserving peace and fraternity in Telangana, condemning the BJP's alleged attempts to disrupt them.

In response to the controversy, Owaisi's party has called upon the Election Commission to take appropriate action. The incident has added fuel to the already intense political landscape in Telangana as the state gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Telangana, with its 17 Lok Sabha seats, is poised for a crucial electoral battle on May 17, with results slated for June 4. The BJP's attempt to wrest the Hyderabad seat, long held by Owaisi and his father before him, underscores the fierce competition in the region. With nine seats secured by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), four by the BJP, and three by the Congress in the previous election, all eyes are on the outcome of this electoral showdown.