Raja Singh, BJP MLA from Goshamahal in Hyderabad, was suspended from the party on Tuesday over alleged derogatory comments made against Prophet Mohammed in a video uploaded on social media. He was arrested hours after large-scale protests erupted in Hyderabad in the early hours of Tuesday over Singh’s remarks.
But Singh, who was produced before Nampally Criminal Court in Hyderabad amid tight security, got bail in the evening. The 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate asked the BJP leader to cooperate with the police in the investigation.
The court accepted Singh’s lawyer’s argument that the police did not issue a notice under CrPC 41(A) to the accused before the arrest. Singh’s advocate told reporters that the police did not follow the Supreme Court’s directions that a notice should be issued to the accused before the arrest in cases which attract below seven years of imprisonment.
Mild tension prevailed at the court as pro and anti-Raja Singh people gathered and indulged in slogan shouting. Police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to disperse them.
Following his controversial remarks, several people belonging to the Muslim community staged protests in various parts of the city on Monday night demanding Singh’s arrest. Many All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislators and corporators of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation reached police stations, where protests were held and sought stringent action against Raja Singh, 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 Raos said they received a complaint against Singh, which alleged that the BJP MLA made derogatory remarks against a religion. The Hyderabad Police have booked the BJP MLA for making derogatory comments against the Prophet and hurting religious sentiments under Sections 295, 505 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code.
During the arrest, the Goshamahal MLA told reporters that 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 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 there are 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.
On August 19, Raja Singh was taken into custody by the police here when he tried to reach the venue of a show held to be held the next day by stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui. Faruqui performed the show on that day even as the police picked up 50 people who tried to reach the venue and protest.
(With agency inputs)
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