Telangana BJP candidate’s gesture of drawing arrow and ‘shooting down’ mosque goes viral, Asaduddin Owaisi slams saffron camp

A gesture made by a Telangana BJP Lok Sabha candidate during an election rally has sparked a controversy and drawn heavy criticism, particularly from AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who denounced the action as “vulgar, obscene, and provocative.”

 The incident occurred during a Ram Navami rally on Wednesday.

The BJP candidate in question, Madhavi Latha, is contesting for the Hyderabad seat, which has been long-held by Owaisi and his father before him. Following the uproar surrounding the incident, Latha issued a statement on Thursday evening expressing regret “if anyone’s feelings are hurt,” while also asserting that the circulated video was “incomplete.”

In the 10-second clip widely circulated online, Latha, clad in saffron attire with a garland of yellow flowers around her neck, is seen making a theatrical gesture. She pretends to draw an arrow from a quiver on her back, mimicking the action of firing an imaginary arrow, coinciding with the playing of loud music. The video, which pans to show a mosque at the moment she “fires” the pretend arrow, has drawn significant backlash.

Watch the video here:

BJP candidate from Hyderabad Kompella Madhavi Latha is directing arrows at a Masjid on the occasion of Ram Navami pic.twitter.com/vJHvX2cAnw

— Gabbar (@Gabbar0099) April 18, 2024

In response to the criticism, Latha defended herself, claiming the video was incomplete and that she was merely gesturing towards the sky during the Ram Navami celebration. She questioned the appearance of the mosque in the video and accused the AIMIM of orchestrating a conspiracy against the BJP.

Here’s the video from a different angle:

This is the actual video of Madhavi Latha ..
The video doing the rounds showing her aiming at some religious place is taken from a different angle ..but in reality she is not aiming at any particular place pic.twitter.com/7SmfS9Uzlr

— Sanatani Thakur (Modiji ka parivar) (@SanggitaT) April 18, 2024

However, Owaisi remained steadfast in his condemnation, asserting that the people of Hyderabad reject such actions by the BJP and RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor. He emphasised the importance of peace and communal harmony in Telangana, condemning attempts to incite discord.

Meanwhile, the AIMIM has called on the Election Commission to take action regarding the incident.

Telangana, with 17 Lok Sabha seats, including Hyderabad, is set to vote on May 17 in the upcoming 2024 elections.