HYDERABAD: BJP Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate K Madhavi Latha landed in controversy on Monday after a video clip of her asking burqa-clad Muslim women to reveal their faces at a polling booth so that she could match them with the photographs on their voter ID cards went viral.
A case was registered under relevant Sections of the IPC and Representation of the People Act. The Hyderabad Collector’s office confirmed in a post on X that a case against the BJP candidate was registered in the Malakpet police station under Sections 171C (voluntarily interfering in the exercise of electoral right), 186 (voluntarily obstructing a public servant from discharging of duties) and 505 (1)(c) (circulation of a statement with an intent to incite a class or community) of the IPC, besides Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act.
According to the complaint filed by Booth Level Officer (BLO) M Aruna, Madhavi Latha engaged in inappropriate behaviour with a voter.
The incident occurred when Rafatunnisa, a voter, arrived at the polling station to vote. It is alleged that Madhavi Latha took Rafatunnisa’s ID card and lifted her burqa reportedly without her consent.
Claiming discrepancies between the voter’s ID card photo and her actual appearance, Madhavi Latha reportedly instructed Rafatunnisa to return home and verify her identity using her Aadhaar card, insisting that she remove her niqab (veil) for a thorough check. Rafatunnisa, feeling humiliated, left the polling booth without casting her vote.
The AIMIM lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) after a video clip of Madhavi Latha’s actions in the polling booth emerged.
Clarifying on the matter, election authorities said that no candidate has the right to lift someone’s (veil) to check her identity. If there is suspicion, a candidate can ask the polling officer to verify a voter’s identity, they added.
When polling was underway, Madhavi Latha visited polling booths and at a polling booth at Azampura in the Malakpet assembly segment, she halted and started checking EPIC cards of the burqa-clad women waiting to franchise their vote.
The BJP candidate alleged that there were several discrepancies in the voters’ list and hence she came there to verify the same. She was seen cautioning poll personnel about facial identification.
Later, Madhavi Latha defended her decision and said there was nothing wrong in her asking some women voters to verify their identity. “I am a candidate, and every candidate has the right to verify the credentials of the voters wearing face masks or burqa,” she told reporters.
City police chief’s response
Later in the day, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Kothakota Sreenivasa Reddy said: “ARO has filed a complaint against the candidate for checking the identity of a voter. It is the job of the polling officers and not even the candidate’s.”
He confirmed that a complaint was lodged and the police registered a case against Madhavi Latha.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer confirmed that another case was registered against Madhavi Latha with the Mangalhat police during the polling hours. The officer said that some party workers were distributing flyers during polling near a booth. The police seized the flyers.
However, Madhavi Latha was not present there at that time. She later learnt about the seizure and came to the police station and snatched the flyers. Accordingly, a case was registered against Madhavi Latha.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the Old City with BJP and AIMIM workers shouting at each other till the police chased them away.