Lok Sabha Polls 2014: AAP slams intent behind release of Shazia Ilmi's video clip

NEW DELHI: A day after the Aam Aadmi Party suffered major embarrassment when a video showing senior party member Shazia Ilmi saying that the Muslim community needed to become 'communal' went viral, the party clarified that even though it did not believe in politics of communalism and did not agree with Shazia's comments, the reasons for having made the clip public were suspect. It even attacked the media, questioning its intention behind the severe criticism that was made on Shazia's highly controversial remarks.

"Aam Aadmi Party would like to reiterate that the party does not believe in politics of communalism and is strictly against it. Neither will we evade or take lightly the concerns of AAP supporters and general public over such a serious issue," the party said.

However, it added that "the fact that those who have brought this 80 second clip in public domain have not shared the rest of the video which can show the actual context raises serious questions about the intentions behind the video clip".

A statement by the party said: "If they have really done this in public interest, we request them to share the full unclipped video or the link to download it in public and also send it to us so that the truth becomes clear between what is being attributed through the short clip and the response to it.

Shazia too put forth an explanation for her remarks, saying that her comments had been taken out of context. The video was shot during her campaign trip to Mumbai recently when she met senior leaders of the Muslim community.

"It is quite clear from the tone and tenor of the conversation that I am using the word 'secular' and 'communal' in an ironic manner. The point was simply to say that the Muslim community has allowed itself to be used far too long by the so-called secular politics. It would be much better if the community were to turn to their real-life material interests, the so-called community interests like education, employment, etc.

It should also be noted that I am making a plea to vote for a candidate who is not Muslim, and in the name of a leader who is not Muslim," she said. She added that her conversation was for half an hour whereas the clip was barely 90 seconds and could not capture the essence of her conversation.