Hyderabad: Goshamahal MLA from BJP T Raja Singh was arrested on Tuesday morning following protests against him over his alleged remarks on Prophet Muhammad. Scores of people were protesting and demanding his arrest outside city police commissioner CV Anand’s office and in other parts of town since Monday night.
Raja Singh had released a video on Jai Shree Ram channel on youtube, in which he passed derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad. The BJP MLA called it “comedy”, and also abused comedian Munawar Faruqui and his mother two days after the comedian’s show was held in Hyderabad. The Telangana unit of the BJP has also disassociated itself from his statements.
BJP chief spokesperson for Telangana Krishna Saagar Rao told Siasat.com that his party respects all religions and faiths. “We are a national party and we don’t support the statements of Raja Singh or hate speech,” he stated.
His comments lead to scores of people protesting on the streets demanding his arrest. Following his video, the BJP MLA was booked by the Dabeerpura police for his remarks. Many people were also taken into custody by the police on Tuesday after protests broke out.
A huge number of cops have also been deployed outside the offices of the Hyderabad police commissioner, the Director General of Police office at Lakdikapul, and the old police commissioner office at Purani Haveli and other important places in the city after protests erupted against BJP MLA Raja Singh for his remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
At the end of the video, after making derogatory comments, Raja Singh said that whatever he uttered was “comedy” and that he himself didn’t like what he said. The video was uploaded on Shree Ram Channel Telangana (now made private). Singh in fact repeated some of the things that now suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma said on TV recently, which became an international row after Muslim countries condemned it.
A case has been registered against Raja Singh under Sections 295(a)- Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs; 153(a)- Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony; 505 (1) (b)- with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity; and 505 (2)- Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes; besides Section 506- Punishment for criminal intimidation, of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Telangana police on high alert across state
Meanwhile, the police had initially increased security in and around Mangalhat and Dhoolpet fearing attacks on Raja Singh. Police officials said that his security was being heightened, as a ‘Chalo Goshamahal’ protest was being planned as seen on social media.
Due to the unrest caused by Raja Singh’s remarks, the inauguration of the new Chandrayangutta flyover by IT and industries minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Tuesday has also been postponed.
Rapid Action Force and police forces from reserve wings of Telangana State Special Police, GreyHounds, and neighboring districts have also been deployed. Police pickets have also been posted at communally sensitive areas of Hyderabad and in the old city, it has been learned.
After protests broke out against Raja Singh, senior police officials held a meeting in the morning and put the entire state police machinery on a tight vigil. A high alert has also been unofficially declared in the erstwhile districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Vikarabad, and Mahbubnagar, said senior officials.
Several references to Prophet Muhammad
The BJP MLA, in his attempt to do “comedy”, passed several derogatory comments against Muslims and Prophet Muhammad.
Raja Singh was essentially unwilling to let go of the fact that standup comic Munawar Faruqui was allowed to hold a show in the city last week. Faruqui performed at the Shilpakala Vedika with full police protection on August 20. The venue was turned into a fortress by the cops, who also put the BJP MLA under house arrest to prevent him from disrupting it.
On Monday, as soon as news of this video spread, protests broke out in front of the Hyderabad police commissionerate office at Basheerbagh at around midnight. People reportedly also protested in different parts of the city demanding the arrest of Raja Singh.
Congress leader Rashed Khan filed a complaint at the Nampally police station. MIM MLA Ahmed Balala arrived at Dabeerpura police station to lodge a complaint with his supporters. According to sources, around 300 people protested at the Hyderabad police commissionerate against Raja Singh.
BJP MLA abuses IT minister KTR for over Munawar row
The BJP MLA also took a shot at TRS working president and Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao, who had invited Munawar Faruqui to perform in Hyderabad (last year). “If you had the guts, you should have let me go. I would have showed you. Raja Singh does not get scared to kill, nor do I get scared to die,” Raja Singh said in his new video.
Singh also tried to disrupt Faruqui’s show after many of his followers turned up at the venue, but they were all arrested by the police. The issue is also being seen as an ego issue as well from KTR’s side.
