A Congress leader, Zahida Khan, while asking for Rohingya affected Mewat region in Rajasthan, urged the Gujjars and the Muslims to come together to vote especially if they could ‘come together to rob’.
The controversial statement was given in Kaman, Rajasthan where Khan said, “If Mewat backs a candidate, then 36 communities back that candidate. The way I have been welcomed here I am hopeful that if God willing, Abhijit will become the MP here. But do give him more votes than you’d give me. For five years you supported but when it came to casting vote, you displayed your Gujjar identity. This time I request with folded hands to not repeat this mistake.” She then added, “if Gujjars and Muslims could come together to rob, why can’t they come together to vote?” Khan was urging to the Meo community of Muslims from Mewat region
She added that her family, especially her father Chaudhary Taiyab Hussain has always supported the Gujjars.
After the video went viral, a complaint was also registered against her with the Election Commission. Khan had given this controversial speech in Kaman region of Bharatpur district in Rajasthan which falls in the Mewat region. Mewat is a region which cuts across Rajasthan and Haryana and is highly influenced by illegal Rohingya population and cow smugglers.
However, Khan has dismissed the video and called it doctored. She said that the video is a conspiracy of her political rivals who are bothered by the kind of support she and Congress candidate Abhijeet Jatav is getting from the people.
Zahida Khan’s husband Jalish Khan was the prime accused in the infamous Bharatpur gangrape case where a Dalit girl was allegedly raped by some men for about 15 days. Zahida Khan, who is a law graduate from the University of Delhi, had written a letter to the then Rajasthan Chief Minister of Rajasthan denying the allegations of rape against her husband. The rape survivor had also alleged that she was being threatened of dire consequences if she did not withdraw the case. She was also allegedly offered Rs 1 crore to ‘settle’ the case.
