Hyderabad: Will the Telangana high court scrapping suspending Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA T Raja Singh’s detention under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, all eyes are on the party’s central disciplinary committee which suspended him. Sources said that the legislator, who faced action for his remarks on Prophet Muhammad, is unlikely to be back in the BJP anytime soon.
BJP leaders, who did not want to be named said that internally in the Telangana party unit there is a soft coroner for Raja Singh (mainly attributed to him as a firebrand Hindutva mascot). “I don’t think anything will happen immediately. Raja Singh had sent an explanation to the show cause notice earlier. The central committee could respond or just keep it pending,” said one BJP leader.
The show cause notice was sent to the BJP MLA soon after he passed derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad in a video that he posted on YouTube on August 22. He was the second person in the BJP to be suspended after national spokesperson Nupur Sharma also received the same punishment for her statements on Prophet Muhammad earlier this year.
In fact, Nupur Sharma’s statements even resulted in international condemnation rom Islamic nations and became a diplomatic problem for India. In Raja Singh’s case, he made the remarks in retaliation against the TRS-run state government allowing comic Munawar Faruqui to hold a show in Hyderabad on August 20. Raja Singh was suspended soon after, and was later arrested by the Hyderabad police and kept in prison under the PD Act. His remarks had led to massive protests by Muslim youth in the city.
PM Modi’s visit
“The show cause ot notice said that the party’s stance has been violated. You cannot comment without commenting on the original accusation or issue. Once it started becoming a ninternatonal issue, it hurt relations. It does not only concern Telangana but affects the BJP nationally. Some off the cadre may feel dispirited but there is a right time for everything (about lifting his suspension). PM Modi is coming, so there is no reason to divert attention from that too,” said the BJP leader.
He was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Telangana on November 12 and going to Ramagundem to unveil a fertiliser a plant. Raja Singh’s suspension being lifted will certainly make headlines if it happens. Moreover, the BJP will have to take into account the anger among Muslims in Hyderabad who were offended by the Goshamahal MLA’s remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
However, a decision will be taken in the coming days for sure as Telangana is slated to go to polls next year around November. Raja Singh is an important person for the BJP, as his incendiary speeches often rile up religious sentiments, especially during election rallies. In the 2018 state polls, he was the only one to win his seat, as the other four contestants who had won in the 2014 elections from the BJP, failed to retain their seats.
Background of Raja Singh’s arrest
Raja Singh was sent to jail under the PD Act for posting a video in which he makes derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad, leading to massive protests by Muslims across the city of Hyderabad. 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 and other police stations for his remarks. Many people were also taken into custody by the police after protests broke out. Raja Singh was arrested within a day after his remarks, but managed to get bail due to procedural issues. The police finally arrested him him on August 25 under the PD Act and he was in jail for over 70 days.
