Hyderabad: BJP’s Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate K. Madhavi Latha filed her nomination after leading a rally from Charminar on Wednesday, April 24.
She along with her supporters offered prayers at Bhagya Laxmi temple abutting the historic monument before leaving for Hyderabad district collectorate to file her nomination.
Hundreds of BJP supporters, holding party flags and raising slogans, participated in the rally which passed through Gulzar Houz, Pathergatti, Madina, Naya Pul and Afzal Gunj.
Wearing saffron robes, Madhavi Latha participated in the rituals at the temple and also blew the conch.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur later joined the nomination rally and appealed to people to back the BJP candidate.
However, T Raja Singh, Goshamahal, MLA was not seen anywhere near Charminar during the BJP Lok Sabha candidate’s visit.
Earlier, talking to reporters at Charminar, the BJP candidate sought people’s support to defeat ‘communal’ AIMIM, Congress and BRS.
The BJP nominee, who was booked by police for her provocative gesture of firing an imaginary arrow towards a mosque during Ram Navami procession, reiterated that the video was edited to target her. “It is their old game, they have been doing it for years now,” she stated, accusing the AIMIM of morphing and editing the video.
She said her political rivals were resorting to these tactics as they were afraid of losing the election.
She further accused the AIMIM of supporting Rohingyas (Myanmar nationals) and using them for votes. “Not only Rohingya’s people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are trafficked to the city. The party is making their voter identity cards and with those votes winning the elections,” said Madhavi Latha.
Over the Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi statement of ‘infiltrators’ and ‘people with many children’, she said AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi are spreading hatred and poison in the country. “When we come to power, all communities will be allowed to freely practice their religion. We are with all minorities and not one will be asked to leave the country and go anywhere,” she said.
Replying to a query, she said Muslim women studying in madrasas can wear Hijab but a religious dress code can’t be allowed in common schools.
She said under Article 30 of the Constitution, minorities have the right to open their schools like madrasas and there the girls can go with Hijab. She said Hindus can’t open similar schools to teach their religion.
She, however, found fault with the management of madrasas for not introducing English and modern education.
Madhavi Latha’s nomination rally was held a few days after AIMIM organised a similar rally from the historic Mecca Masjid near Charminar.
After offering Friday prayers at the mosque, AIMIM chief and sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi left in a rally to file his nomination papers.
Hyderabad constituency is a stronghold of AIMIM, which has been winning the seat for the last four decades. It has never lost an election here since 1984.
(with inputs from IANS)
