Headline Change: SP Leader Maria Alam Urges Unity and Civic Engagement in Farrukhabad

At a rally seeking votes for the INDIA bloc candidate, Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam called for "vote jehad" to remove the BJP government, claiming it was necessary for the minority community. Her uncle Salman Khurshid was present at the event, which has sparked controversy. Khurshid stated that "jihad" means fighting a situation and that Alam's intentions may have been to protect the Constitution through voting.

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 jihad' 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.

''Jihad 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.)