Remarks on Prophet: Suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh granted bail
At the court, the police had also had to lathi-charge protestors who turned up at the place to protest against the BJP MLA.
Hyderabad: Suspended Goshamahal BJP MLA T Raja Singh who was produced before the Nampally court on Tuesday evening has been granted bail.
The defence counsel had moved a bail petition before the court raising several irregularities in the procedure of the MLA’s arrest. The lawyer argued there is a flaw of Hyderabad police for not complying with the Supreme court’s guidelines.
The Magistrate rejected the police remand on technical grounds and granted bail.
He was arrested in the morning by the south zone police for making derogatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad in a “comedy video” that he released late on the night of August 22 on Youtube. Some protestors who turned up in the court were also lathi-charged by the police personnel.
Earlier in the day protests were held across Hyderabad by angry Muslims who demanded his arrest after the video was out. A massive protest took place against Raja Singh in front of the Hyderabad police commissioners’ office at Basheerbagh. In part of the Old City, some shut were shut in protest against the MLA’s comments. The Telangana unit of the BJP has also disassociated itself from his statements.
The central disciplinary committee of the BJP released the MLA’s suspension letter, in which it was stated that he violated rule XXV 10 (a) of the party’s constitution. He was also asked to show cause within 10 days as to why should he not be expelled from the party.
On Tuesday morning, the MLA was arrested and taken to the Bolarum police station on Tuesday after being booked under Sections 295(a), 153(a), 505 (1) (b) and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code.
What Raja Singh said in the video
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.
“….I thought to myself, He ( referring to comedian Munawar Faruqui) is abusing Lord Ram and Sita so I should research this almighty of his and people who wear round caps (Muslims). The moment I did it, I found something very shocking in the video. In that, it says that the man married a six-year-old (referring to the Prophet Muhammad),” said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Raja Singh in the 10 minute-27-second video.
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.
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.
