‘Sanghis Will Wipe You Out’: SP Leader Maria Alam Urges Muslims For ‘Vote Jihad’ Against BJP | VIDEO

Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam, the niece of Congress veteran and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, appealed Muslim voters to do 'Vote Jihad' and drive out the BJP government as it is necessary considering the current situation of the minority community.

Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election 2024: A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader triggered a row with her remarks as she made a vehement appeal to Muslims in Farrukhabad Lok Sabha constituency to carry out “Vote Jihad” against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or else they will be “wiped out” by the “Sanghi government“.

Addressing a poll rally on Monday in Kaimganj in support of Farrukhabad INDIA bloc candidate Naval Kishore Shakya, SP leader Maria Alam, the niece of Congress veteran and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, appealed Muslim voters to do ‘Vote Jihad’ and drive out the BJP government as it is necessary considering the current situation of the minority community.

‘Vote Jihad against Sanghi govt’

“Together do vote jihad — with intelligence, without being sentimental and with silence. As we can only do vote jihad to drive away this Sanghi government,” Alam said.

With Khurshid seated on the dais, Maria Alam urged Muslim voters to join hands, otherwise this “Sanghi government will succeed in wiping out our existence”.

“People say that Constitution and democracy are under threat. But I say that insaniyat (humanity) is under threat. Now there is an attack on ‘insaniyat’,” she alleged.

“If you want to save the country, its beauty and ‘ganga-jamuni’ (composite) culture, then vote very intelligently without getting influenced by anyone,” she asserted.

With Unity, Do Vote Jihad: Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam Khan in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/42nVej6aGH

— IANS (@ians_india) April 30, 2024

‘Meaning misinterpreted’

Salman Khurshid, who was the chief guest at the public meeting, when asked to comments made by his niece, stated he generally avoids using such words because its literal meaning is misinterpreted.

“Jihad means to fight against a situation. Her intention must have been to carry out vote jihad to protect the Constitution,” he asserted.

Asked about his candidature from INDIA bloc from the Farrukhabad seat, Khurshid said he was offered Congress ticket from Aligarh from the Congress. But he politely declined clearly saying that “I am Salman Khurshid from Farrukhabad and I stay that only”.

This was the first public meeting of the INDIA bloc in Farrukhabad with most of the senior leaders of the Congress and the SP present together on the dias.

BJP hits back

Meanwhile, the video of Maria Alam’s “communal” remarks has gone viral on social media platforms, triggering backlash from the BJP and its allies.

“The kind of statements coming from the INDI Alliance candidate show they are scared. By appeasing Muslims, you can never gain the trust of the country’s people,” BJP leader Rohan Gupta said while reacting to Alam’s comments.

“Now, it’s not about appeasing Muslims, but about empowerment,” he asserted.

(With PTI inputs)