Fact Check: BJP Madhavi Latha’s poll campaign talk shared as ‘admission’ after election defeat
A video of Madhavi Latha stating that Muslims can never be terrorists has gone viral.
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 15 Jun 2024 3:32 PM IST
Claim: After losing the Lok Sabha election, Hyderabad's BJP candidate Madhavi Latha changed her political position, stating Muslims can never be terrorists.
Fact: The claim is misleading. This video was shot on April 19, during Madhavi’s poll campaign in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: Kompella Madhavi Latha, who ran for the 2024 Telangana Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket from Hyderabad, was defeated by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi by over 3 lakh votes.
Known for her controversial remarks, she faced an FIR for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community during a Ram Navami procession on April 17, 2024. Additionally, she was booked for checking the credentials of burqa-clad women during election polling.
Against this backdrop, a video of Madhavi stating that Muslims can never be terrorists has gone viral. In the video, when asked if Muslims are terrorists, Madhavi responds ‘Indian Muslims can never be terrorists but what can we say about the youth in poverty who are misled in the name of religion.’ Those sharing the video claim that Madhavi Latha has changed her stance after losing the elections.
A Facebook user shared the video with the caption, “Jijji gained wisdom after losing the election. (sic)” ( Archive)
A similar post can be seen here. ( Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the video was from April 19, 2024, before the Lok Sabha election results were announced.
A keyword search led us to the extended version of the video on the YouTube channel Hyderabad Festivals, uploaded on April 22, 2024.
In the 1:43-minute video, the interviewer asked Madhavi’s opinion about how Indian Muslims would be affected by the government’s proposals such as CAA and NRC. The viral clip was cut from 1:18-1:43 minutes in the video.
The Print reported that the person behind the camera is a Muslim law student, Mir Mukaram Sultan. He raised questions about various issues, including her controversial gesture during the Ram Navami procession. Madhavi justified her actions stating that a different angle of the video proves that she was not pointing towards a mosque.
Hence the viral video is misleading. The video of Madhavi’s statement about Muslims during her election campaign is being falsely shared as her 'admission' after the election defeat.
