‘Targeting Muslim women voters’: AIMIM chief Owaisi slams BJP over demand for ‘verification’ of burqa-clad voters | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the BJP for allegedly targeting Muslim women voters and creating obstacles for Muslim women in the voting process. This follows a demand from the BJP’s Delhi unit for “proper verification” of women voters wearing burqas.
Owaisi said in a tweet, “The Delhi unit of the BJP has told the Election Commission that there should be a special checking of women in burqa.During the recent Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, their candidate publicly insulted and harassed Muslim women. In every election, the BJP finds some excuse or the other to harass and target Muslim women.”
He further added, “The Election Commission has clear rules and regulations for women who do not observe purdah, whether they are in burqa or veil or mask, no one is allowed to vote without verification/verification, so why did the BJP have to make such a special demand?”

This controversy began when a delegation from the Delhi BJP met with the chief electoral officer (CEO) on Wednesday. They demanded proper verification of women voters wearing burqas or face masks, using female officials during the May 25 polling.
A case has been registered against BJP’s Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha after a video clip of her checking the voter ID cards of Muslim women at a polling booth went viral. The case has been registered under sections 171C, 186, and 505(1)(c) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act.
AIMIM chief also alleged that different political parties have attempted to “destroy” the Backwards, Dalit and Muslim communities as they have been voting for the last 50-60 years with a “sense of fear” and appealed people to vote with responsibility.
Addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh’s Phulpur on Thursday, Owaisi said, “You voted for Congress, Socialist Party, Janta Dal, Janta Party, and Samajwadi Party till now but you got nothing and to whom you voted for, you changed their destiny. You let them sit on the throne of either Delhi or Lucknow and to whomsoever you helped succeed, they destroyed us…”
“We have been voting for the last 50-60 years with a sense of fear and that’s why the problems have increased. I want you to vote with hope. Vote is a trust and makes its proper use,” he added.
The next rounds of voting would be held on May 25 and June 1.
Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases till June 1. Polling for five phases has already been concluded. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4.
(With agency inputs)