WATCH: BJP's Madhavi Latha Checks Voter ID Of Burqa-Clad Muslim Women At Hyderabad Poll Booth; Booked

BJP candidate Madhavi Latha, who is pitted against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi from the Hyderabad seat, can be seen asking Muslim women inside the polling station to remove their 'Niqab' (veil) and show their face alongside their voter ID cards so she can identify them.

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Madhavi Latha, the BJP's candidate from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, Monday triggered a controversy after a viral video showed her heckling burqa-clad Muslim women and checking their Voter IDs at a polling booth in the Telangana capital.

In the viral clip, the Madhavi Latha, who is pitted against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi from the Hyderabad seat, can be seen asking Muslim women inside the polling station to remove their 'Niqab' (veil) and show their face alongside their voter ID cards so she can identify them.

The incident took place when Latha was visiting a polling booth Old city Hyderabad where voting is underway in Phase 4 of Lok Sabha Election 2024.

Latha also seen telling the policemen to allow voters into polling booths only after a thorough check.

Case lodged against Madhavi Latha

Meanwhile, after the video of Latha's antics went viral on social media, a case was registered against the BJP candidate under 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act, a senior official said.

"A case is registered in Malakpet Police Station against Smt Madhavi Latha, contesting candidate, BJP under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act," the Hyderabad Collector said in a post on X.

Section 171C deals with interference or attempts to interfere with the free exercise of any electoral right.

Section 186 is related to voluntarily obstructing any public servant in the discharge of public function, while 505 is applied for inciting or likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community.

'Its my right as candidate'

Talking about the incident, Madhavi Latha claimed that she only requested the women to verify their identity and there was "nothing wrong with this".

"I am a candidate. As per law candidate has the right to check the ID cards without the facemasks. I am not a man, I am a woman and with a lot of humbleness, I have only requested them - can I please see and verify with the ID cards?," she asserted.

If somebody wants to make a big issue out of it, that means they are scared," the BJP leader claimed.

Earlier in the day, Madhavi Latha had alleged discrepancies in the voter list in her constituency.

"The Police personnel seem very dull, they are not active...They are not checking anything. Senior citizen voters are coming here but their names are deleted from the list. A few of them are residents of Goshamahal but their names are in the list of Rangareddy...," the BJP had claimed .

Polling for the total 17 Lok Sabha seats was underway in Telangana.

(With inputs from agencies)