New Delhi: In a video posted on YouTube, Shazia Ilmi, a top leader of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is seen urging Muslim leaders, 'I'm saying Muslims are very secular. Muslims need to be communal. A Muslim isn't communal - doesn't vote for his own. Arvind Kejriwal is one of you. You are too secular - sometimes you vote for the Congress, sometimes for others. Don't be this secular. Look after your own homes (interests). This may be a very controversial thing to say but it is essential..'

NDTV cannot verify the authenticity of the video. On its twitter account, Ms Ilmi's party said, 'AAP does not believe in this kind of politics nor does it endorse it... All our representatives should be careful in their choice of words so that there is no scope for misinterpretation.'

In recent weeks, the national election has seen politicians using religion to court voters and making remarks designed to polarize votes, with the powerful Election Commission reacting swiftly. Azam Khan, a minister in Uttar Pradesh, was banned from campaigning after a hate speech. Similar action was taken against the BJP's Amit Shah; after an assurance that he would not make hate comments, the ban on him was lifted last week. Mr Shah is a top aide of Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. (Also read: Modi aide Amit Shah talks about controversial 'revenge')

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