Shiv Sena MLA’s Burqa Distribution Sparks Criticism from BJP Ahead of Maharashtra Elections

Mumbai, 13th September 2024: As the Maharashtra Assembly elections approach, a distribution program for burqas organized by Shiv Sena MLA Yamini Jadhav has sparked controversy within the ruling Maha Yuti coalition, with the BJP expressing concerns.

Yamini Jadhav, who is married to senior Shiv Sena leader Yeshwant Jadhav, known for his influence in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), recently left the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) to join the faction led by Eknath Shinde. She had previously contested the Mumbai South seat unsuccessfully against Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant.

In several videos, Yamini Jadhav can be seen distributing burqas to Muslim women and asserting that the initiative is not intended to influence the upcoming state elections. “If the opposition believes this distribution of burqas and hijabs is meant to win over the Muslim community, they are mistaken,” she is heard saying.

The BJP has criticized the move, with Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar stating, “While it is within the local MLA’s rights to distribute items as they see fit, the BJP disapproves of such appeasement tactics.”