"If I Were To Be Against Muslims...": BJP Leader Amid "Imaginary" Arrow Row

The BJP candidate from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, Kompella Madhavi Latha on Sunday ridiculed the complaint filed against her controversial arrow gesture towards a mosque and said if she were against the Muslims, then why would she participate in a procession during the holy month of Ramzan and distribute food to many people with her own hands.

"This is ridiculous. If I were to be against Muslims then why would I participate in Hazrat Ali Saab ka Juloos that took place on Ramzan. I have distributed food to many people with my own hands. The reason why these people want to target me through their dirty social media posts is because...they are scared from the day I did Rajat Sharma's 'Aap Ki Adalat'..." said Madhavi Latha.

The BJP candidate from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, Kompella Madhavi Latha, has courted controversy after a video of her gesturing to shoot an arrow, purportedly in the direction of a mosque, came to light.

During the festivities, the mosque had been covered in white cloth to avoid communal tensions.

A resident of First Lancer, Hyderabad, lodged a complaint on Sunday against Madhavi Latha following the controversy. The complainant was identified as Shaik Imran.

Reacting to this, she told ANI, "On the occasion of Ram Navami...for a Dhanush that didn't exist, for the Teer (arrow) that didn't exist, and for the reaction of the teer coming out that wasn't there, they made a false video of mine...They have made an allegation and registered an FIR..."

"One fellow said that I have provoked the Muslims, and communally, I have tried to provoke the Muslims. I would say that it is a festival moment. You cross a particular road, and in my mobile and in other mobiles where this act was taken, the mosque wasn't there in the frame...This is ridiculous," the BJP candidate said.

Imran has filed his complaint with the Begum Bazar Police Station and has also taken the matter to the Election Commission.

The BJP candidate later took to X to issue an explanation."It has come to my attention that a video of mine is being circulated in the media to create negativity. I would like to clarify that this is an incomplete video, and if anyone's feelings are hurt due to such a video, I would like to apologise," Latha said on April 19.

Earlier, on Friday, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at her, saying that the arrow was targeting the peace and tranquillity of the city.

Addressing his first public meeting after filing his nomination from the Hyderabad constituency, Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the purported gesture by Madhavi Latha was intended to weaken the peace among Hindus and Muslims in the city.

"You saw that one candidate of the BJP is gesturing to shoot an arrow in the direction of a mosque. If you even feel a little bit of pain, you should vote not for the sake of the party but for that 'ibadatgah' (prayer house). If you will keep sleeping even now, when will you get up," Asaduddin Owaisi said.

"That imaginary arrow was not pointed at any mosque but against the peace and tranquillity of Hyderabad. It showed their (BJP) intention of destroying the peace of Hyderabad. It was done to weaken the peace among Hindus and Muslims. You can have differences with me, but peace in the city is for everyone," he added.

The old city, comprising two Lok Sabha seats--Hyderabad and Secunderabad--will poll for the Lok Sabha on May 13. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

Asaduddin Owaisi, who has served four terms in the Lok Sabha as the elected representative from Hyderabad since 2004, was previously elected as an MLA twice in the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven assembly segments--Bahadurpura, Chandrayangutta, Charminar, Goshamahal, Karwan, Malakpet and Yakatpura. All assembly seats, except Goshamahal, are presently held by the AIMIM.

Since 1984, candidates from the Asaduddin Owaisi family or those supported by them, have been elected from Hyderabad, with Asaduddin Owaisi currently serving as the Lok Sabha member from the prestigious seat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)