SP Leader Maria Alam Appeals for Unity and Support for Alliance Candidate in Farrukhabad

Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam urged minority voters to engage in "vote jehad" to defeat the BJP in the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha election. She claimed it was crucial for their survival. Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, her uncle, interpreted "jehad" as fighting against adversity to safeguard the Constitution. Alam stressed the need for unity, warning that the "Sanghi government" posed a threat to humanity. The INDIA bloc, which includes SP and Congress, organized a public meeting where Alam made her appeal, with Khurshid present as the chief guest. He attempted to clarify her statement by saying she meant using the vote to protect the Constitution.

Seeking votes for the INDIA bloc candidate from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam made an appeal for ''vote jehad'', terming it as necessary in the current situation for the minority community to drive away the BJP government.

Alam, who is also the niece of senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, while addressing an election meeting on Monday in the presence of senior Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, made an appeal for ''vote jehad'', saying ''in the current situation, 'vote jehad' is necessary for the minority community''.

Speaking in Kaimganj in support of INDIA bloc candidate Naval Kishore Shakya, Alam said, ''Together do vote jehad -- with intelligence, without being sentimental and with silence. As we can only do vote jehad to drive away this Sanghi government.'' Stressing that it was time to join hands, she said 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'. If you want to save the country, its beauty and 'ganga-jamuni' (composite) culture, then vote very intelligently without getting influenced by anyone,'' she stressed.

In the public meeting, Khurshid took part as the chief guest. The video of Alam's statement has also gone viral on social media.

Asked to comment on the statement of his niece, Khurshid said generally he avoids using such words because its literal meaning is misinterpreted.

''Jehad means to fight against a situation. Her intention must have been to carry out vote jihad to protect the Constitution,'' he said.

On 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.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)