Who Is Madhavi Latha? BJP Leader’s Bow & Arrow Gesture Sparks Row

At a Ram Navami rally on April 17 in Hyderabad, Telangana, Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha of the Bharatiya Janata Party landed in a controversy when she allegedly gestured to shoot an arrow towards a mosque. As a video of the incident went viral, Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) slammed the minister, deeming her actions "vulgar, obscene, and provocative." Latha responded to the controversy with a statement alleging she did not realise there was a mosque there.

Speaking to the Press Trust of India, the BJP candidate justified herself by saying, "I released thet arrow towards a building, that's it. Where did the mosque come from?" She alleged Owais and his supporters of stirring controversy to incite the youth. She added, "This is a conspiracy against us because we work well with both Hindu and Muslim brothers."

Who Is Madhavi Latha?

Pasupuleti Maadhavi Latha (who goes by Madhavi Latha in the media) is a Tollywood actor-turned-politician who joined the BJP in 2018 from the Guntur constituency. She contested the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election and is now in the race for the 18th Lok Sabha polls from Telangana's Hyderabad. 

The seat has been held by Owaisi since 2004 and his father, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, since 1989. She has now landed in a controversy over a viral video of her pretending to fire an arrow towards a mosque. However, she denied that the gesture was aimed at the mosque or the Muslim community.

She deserves to win Hyderabad. pic.twitter.com/SwOmTWtkwv

— Sunanda Roy 👑 (@SaffronSunanda) April 18, 2024

Here's what BJP's Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency candidate Madhavi Latha (@Kompella_MLatha) said on the controversy over a video in which she was purportedly seen gesturing shooting an arrow towards a mosque.



"Yesterday (April 17), on the occasion of Ram Navami, I was… pic.twitter.com/f7eAPoNG4S

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 18, 2024

Latha was born in Hubli, Karnataka, and completed her education at Gulbarga University and Mysuru University. Further, she completed a Master's degree in Fashion Design from Coventry University in the UK. Before politics, she was a part of cinema and theatre. She made her acting debut with the Tollywood film Athidhi in 2007. 

Latha has also been vocal about the challenges she endured in her acting career. She mentioned in an interview that she faced sexual harassment from co-stars and filmmakers during her early days in the film industry. She alleged that when she declined to offer sexual favours to a prominent director, she struggled to find roles.