Suspended BJP leader Raja Singh released hours after his arrest for derogatory remarks against Prophet

India

oi-Deepika S

Hyderabd,
Aug
23:
Controversial
BJP
MLA
T
Raja
Singh
was
arrested
by
the
Hyderabad
police
on
Tuesday
for
his
alleged
derogatory
remarks
against
the
Prophet,
following
which
he
was
suspended
by
the
saffron
party
for
“violating”
the
party’s
constitution.

Singh,
known
for
his
hardline
religious
rhetoric,
was
issued
a
show
cause
notice
by
the
BJP,
asking
him
to
explain
within
10
days
why
he
should
not
be
expelled
from
the
party.

Singh
was
arrested
on
Tuesday,
a
day
after
he
released
a
video
criticising
stand-up
comedian
Munawar
Faruqui,
who
had
recently
performed
in
Hyderabad.
Singh
is
also
purportedly
seen
making
some
comments
aimed
at
the
Prophet.
His
supporters
have,
though,
argued
that
he
had
not
named
any
religion
or
religious
figure.

In
a
notice
issued
to
Singh,
BJP’s
central
disciplinary
committee
secretary
Om
Pathak
said,”you
have
expressed
views
contrary
to
the
Party’s
position
on
various
matters,
which
is
in
clear
violation
…
of
the
constitution
of
the
BJP.
I
have
been
directed
to
convey
to
you
that
pending
further
inquiry,
you
are
suspended
from
the
party
and
from
your
responsibilities/assignments
if
any,
with
immediate
effect.”

Pathak
also
asked
Singh
to
“show
cause”
within
10
days
from
the
date
of
this
notice
as
to
why
he
should
not
be
expelled
from
the
party.
“Your
detailed
reply
must
reach
the
undersigned
no
later
than
2nd
of
September
2022,”
Pathak
said.

The
BJP’s
action
against
the
45-year-old
legislator
came
months
after
it
had
suspended
its
national
spokesperson
Nupur
Sharma
for
making
derogatory
comments
against
the
Prophet.
Her
comments
sparked
protests
abroad
as
well
with
several
Islamic
countries
objecting
and
taking
up
the
matter
with
India.

It
had
also
expelled
its
Delhi
media
in-charge
Naveen
Kumar
Jindal
then.
Reacting
to
Singh’s
alleged
comments,
All
India
Majlis-e-Ittehadul
Muslimeen
(AIMIM)
chief
Asaduddin
Owaisi
said,”this
is
the
official
policy
of
the
BJP
to
ensure
that
Muslims
are
always
tortured
emotionally
and
mentally
by
allowing
their
party
members
to
talk
in
such
low
language
which
we
call
it
Sadak
Chap
language
about
Prophet
Mohammed.”
“This
is
a
deliberate
attempt
by
BJP
and
they
allowed
their
MLA
to
speak
in
this
language,”
he
told
reporters.

A
complaint
filed
by
one
Mohammed
Wajhi
Uddin
Salman
with
Dabeerpura
Police
alleged
Raja
Singh
used
vulgar
language
against
Prophet
Mohammed.
Many
AIMIM
legislators
and
corporators
of
Greater
Hyderabad
Municipal
Corporation
staged
protests
in
various
parts
of
the
city
on
Monday
night
demanding
Singh’s
arrest,
party
sources
said.

According
to
police,
complaints
were
filed
against
Singh
in
several
police
stations
under
the
South,
East
and
West
Zones.
Dabeerpur
Police
Inspector
G
Koteswar
Rao
said
an
FIR
was
booked
against
Singh
under
various
sections
of
IPC
pertaining
to
promoting
enmity
between
different
groups
on
grounds
of
religion,
deliberate
and
malicious
acts,
intended
to
outrage
religious
feelings
of
any
class
by
insulting
its
religion
or
religious
beliefs
and
criminal
intimidation
among
others.

During
the
arrest,
the
Goshamahal
MLA
told
reporters
his
video
was
pulled
down
by
the
social
media
platform
on
which
it
was
uploaded
and
that
he
will
upload
“part
2”
of
the
clip
after
his
release.

“They
removed
my
video
from
YouTube.
I
don’t
know
what
the
police
are
going
to
do.
Once
I
am
released,
the
second
part
(of
the
video)
will
certainly
be
uploaded.
I
am
doing
it
for
Dharma.
I
am
ready
to
die
for
dharma,”
he
said.
Singh
sought
to
know
why
several
complaints
were
lodged
against
him
in
various
police
stations.

“Why
are
there
complaints?
Our
Ram
is
not
Ram?
Our
Sita
is
Sita?
I
requested
the
DGP
with
folded
hands
not
to
allow
the
person
(Munawar
Faruqui)
who
made
comedy
with
vulgar
language
against
Ram
and
Sita,”
he
said.

According
to
a
submission
made
by
Singh
to
the
election
commission
in
2018
ahead
of
the
Telangana
legislative
assembly
election,
there
were
43
criminal
cases
against
him.
No
stranger
to
inflammatory
comments,
Singh
in
2017
said
those
opposed
to
the
construction
of
the
Ram
temple
in
Ayodhya
should
be
beheaded.
During
the
2022
assembly
polls
in
Uttar
Pradesh,
he
suggested
that
houses
of
those
who
do
not
vote
for
the
BJP
will
be
demolished.

The
Election
Commission
had
pulled
him
for
the
comment
and
barred
him
from
campaigning
for
72
hours.
In
2020,
Facebook
banned
Singh
from
its
platform
and
Instagram
for
violating
its
policy
on
content
promoting
violence
and
hate.
“We
have
banned
Raja
Singh
from
Facebook
for
violating
our
policy
prohibiting
those
that
promote
or
engage
in
violence
and
hate
from
having
a
presence
on
our
platform,”
a
Facebook
spokesperson
had
said.