Aam Aadmi Party Lok Sabha candidate from Ghaziabad Shazia Ilmi has run into yet another controversy after she reportedly visited a temple in Ghaziabad to offer prayers to Shiva.
Shazia Ilmi is busy meeting residents and conducting road shows in Ghaziabad to garner support of the voters, but found the time to visit Dudeshwar temple in the district. She offered water to the Shiva idol in the temple, pictures of which were captured by journalists and are available in the public domain.
On Monday, while she was conducting a road show in Pilkhuwa area, a resident Ikram stopped her at Abdul Hamid Chowk in Saddikpura area and pointing at a newspaper report, he asked her why she had visited the temple and violated the laws of her religion.
Infuriated by the question but cautious of not hurting sentiments of the Muslims as it could have adverse effects during polls, Shazia put the entire blam on media. She defamed many journalists and asked people to not believe such reports blindly.
“A report showed Arvind Kejriwal touching Narendra Modi’s feet. Does that mean he would have done that,” she said.
On being questioned by the media, she later clarified that an Urdu speaking man had asked her why she had visited a temple when she is a Muslim.
“I told him I respect all religions. I go to different places of worship. Some journalists show my photos visiting temples to Muslims and others show me visiting mosques to Hindus. I just cautioned people to not believe them as it might be done with wrong intentions,” she told.
