Parties hit out at T’gana BJP MLA over Prophet remarks

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA T Raja Singh’s alleged derogatory comments against Prophet Mohammad evoked strong protests from political parties in Telangana on Tuesday.

Singh, who was suspended from the BJP and also stripped of the BJP legislature party leader post, was arrested by Shah Inayat Gunj police on Tuesday morning on complaints lodged the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and other individuals of the Muslim community.

Singh, who represents Hyderabad’s Goshamahal assembly constituency, was produced before the Nampally criminal courts later in the evening, but was granted bail by the court on the ground that police had failed to follow proper procedure before arresting him.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that it was a deliberate attempt by Singh to hurt sentiments of Muslims, so that there would be communal disturbances in the state, which will result in communal polarisation.

“It was not a controversial statement, but a deliberate attempt to insult the Muslim community, which he hates. First, it was Nupur Sharma, who made such offensive statements, and now, Raja Singh made it. It means the BJP is determined to hurt the sentiments of Muslims because it hates the community,” Owaisi told reporters at the party headquarters, Darussalam.

The AIMIM president wondered whether the BJP was intending to damage the social fabric of the country. “What the BJP will draw from such instances. There are people of several faiths living in India,” he asked.

Owaisi felt that the MLA must definitely have the support of the BJP national leadership without which he would not have made such an offensive comment. “It has become an official policy of the BJP to target Prophet Mohammed and Muslims in the country. The party is not bothered about the social fabric of the country and wants to divide the communities,” he said.

The AIMIM chief demanded that police record the voice samples of Singh and send them to the forensic science laboratory so as to strengthen the criminal case.

He said the BJP was not able to digest the fact that there were no law and order issues in the state and there have been no communal riots. “Hyderabad is peaceful and has become a destination centre for software and pharmaceutical companies. Corporate giants are setting up centres here,” he said.

Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) alleged that the BJP was trying to whip up communal passions in the otherwise peaceful Telangana for its political gains. “It is seeking to destroy the communal harmony and tranquillity in the state. The BJP MLA’s comments are highly condemnable,” TRS leader and state social welfare minister Koppula Eshwar said in a statement.

He said the BJP leaders were not able to tolerate the way Telangana was progressing as a peaceful and progressive state under the leadership of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. “They are displaying intolerance towards minorities,” Eshwar said and requested home minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali to take stringent action against Singh.

Congress leader and former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir demanded that the BJP MLA be booked under the preventive detention act for hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community.

In a statement, Shabbir condemned the attitude of Telangana police in being lenient towards taking action against Singh. “The BJP MLA should be treated as a habitual offender as he had made several statements in the past hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community,” he said.

The BJP leaders have refused to make any comment on Singh’s comments.