ADH TV host Katherine Deves has branded the growing movement of Muslim-based political groups “Teals in Hijabs”.

This week, a Victorian-based group launched its political campaign under the name “Muslim Votes Matter”, claiming to be a grassroots organisation.

It plans to campaign in 32 federal seats with significant numbers of Muslim voters – most of them Labor-held.

Another group, “The Muslim Vote” started its campaign, boasting to be representing one million Australians. It aimed to force the Federal Parliament into a minority government, prioritising issue of “justice for Palestine”.

But ADH TV host Katherine Deves said on her Tuesday weekly show, the movement is riddled with contradictions.

“Do they want to fight against the powers that they claim control them, while having their hand out for the largesse from the societies that they want to tear down?

“Is this just Teal in Hijabs - a political group pretending they are an independent grassroots movement but really something else”, Deves said.

The groups plan to rate MPs on the issues they want to push - like embargoes on Israel and attitudes to the listed terrorist group Hamas.

“Sectarianism in politics is kryptonite for democracy”, Katherine said.

“It becomes about moral authoritarianism rather than improving the material lives of the people” Deves said, reflecting on the Teal political movement which initially claimed to be ‘community independents’ but now sit as a collective in the Parliament with the big money backing.

“This is a dangerous development and one we should all be watching closely”, Katherine Deves said.