Hyderabad: Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh, who is still in suspension from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded the ruling BRS government here to provide him with a new Bullet Resistant (BR) vehicle or withdraw the vehicle and security he currently has.
On Thursday, the black coloured BR vehicle’s front tyre had to be removed after the vehicle was on the run on the Mangalhat police station ground. Raja Singh was returning home after attending the assembly session when the driver noticed the vehicle tyre getting damaged.
“After great difficulty we managed to bring the vehicle to the roadside. We were going at a low speed hence any major accident averted. Otherwise, the vehicle would have overturned and consequences would have been fatal,” T Raja Singh told media persons.
The MLA said home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali should be ashamed of showing negligent attitude in taking care of the security of the sitting MLA. “Check and replace the vehicle at the earliest or you have other plans?” questioned Raja Singh. The BJP MLA is currently out on bail, which was given to him by the Telangana high court after it quashed his imprisonment under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act in the Prophet remarks case.
Previously, Raja Singh’s vehicle developed technical snags forcing it to be taken for repairs. The MLA then also demanded replacement of his vehicle. Singh is provided with 2+2 round the clock security and a BR vehicle.
Bypassing high court’s gag order
The BJP legislator passed derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammed last year in response to the state government allowing comedian Munawar Faruqui to hold a show in Hyderabad. Raja Singh’s comments sparked several protests and he was soon arrested by the city police and eventually put in prison.
Hit with a gag order from the Telangana High Court, suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA T Raja Singh seems to be subverting his restrictions by passing communal and inflammatory remarks from outside the state.
While quashing Singh’s detention in jail under the PD Act last year, the High Court, as part of its bail order, warned the BJP MLA was told not to make provocative speeches or speak in public. So far, a case has already been registered against him in recent times for violating the court orders (with the Mangalhat police station). Raja Singh was served another notice by the Hyderabad police on January 29 for a hate speech in Mumbai.
His statements come just months ahead of the Telangana state elections, which are due this year. With restrictions on him, Raja Singh is currently unable to carry out political campaigns or hold public rallies as he would have ideally done in the run-up to the polls. It is unsure how the state judiciary will react to him making speeches outside, with the logic that it is beyond the HC’s jurisdiction.
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