'Vote for me, you will need me once elections are over': Maneka Gandhi tells Muslims in Sultanpur

In a controversial remark, Union minister Maneka Gandhi asked Muslims to vote for her as they will need her once the Lok Sabha elections are over. “We are not Mahatma Gandhi’s children that we will keep giving and not get anything in return,” she said in Muslim-dominated Turabkhani area on Thursday. In a video doing the rounds on social media, she can be heard saying: “I am going to win because of the love of the people. But if I win without the votes of the Muslims, then I won’t be too happy….If Muslims come for some work after this, I will think why bother, what difference will it make?”

Maneka is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency on a BJP ticket. Her son Varun Gandhi had won from the seat in 2014. But this time, Varun is contesting from his mother’s seat, Pilibhit. Soon after the clip went viral, the Congress filed a complaint against her with the Election Commission. The party also demanded that her candidature be cancelled. Her comments drew flak from various quarters, including from Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha who lashed out against her on Twitter, calling the comment a “shocker”.

WHOA!!! Just hear #ManekaGandhi talking to Muslims; it's a shocker!!!! Worse, she says "you will need me, and I will have booth-wise details". #BJP ko harana hamara zimmedari hain. They are threatening our fellow Indians for votes. @ECISVEEP ; Please take action ASAP! https://t.co/rGSCup0w55

— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) April 12, 2019

Maneka Gandhi asked people in Sultanpur to check with the people in Pilibhit, her earlier constituency. “If there is even one person who says there had been something wrong on my part, don’t vote for me,” she said. With inputs from PTI