Suspended Telangana BJP MLA T Raja Singh granted bail hours after being arrested

Suspended Telangana BJP MLA T Raja Singh, who was arrested for his remarks against Prophet Mohammed, was on Tuesday granted bail by a local court. The Nampally metropolitan magistrate court said the police had not followed the proper procedure such as issuance of prior notice before the arrest. Singh was arrested by the city police earlier in the day over his alleged remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed in a video that was later pulled down by the social media platform on which it was uploaded.

“The police did not follow the Supreme Court directions that a notice should be issued to accused before the arrest in cases which attract below seven years of imprisonment,” news agency PTI quoted Raja Singh's advocate as saying.

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.

After an uproar over his remarks, the BJP suspended Singh from the party with immediate effect.

Following the dramatic turn of events, the city police stepped up security measures at sensitive locations. All India Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi also hit out at the BJP over the now-suspended MLA's derogatory comments against the Prophet that also sparked protests in Hyderabad.

"I condemn the comments made by BJP MLA... BJP doesn't want to see peace in Hyderabad. BJP hates Prophet Muhammad and Muslims. They want to destroy the social fabric of India," Owaisi was quoted by news agency ANI.

"Fight with us politically... but not like this. If prime minister Narendra Modi and BJP don't support these comments then they should react. I also condemn the slogans (Sar Tan Se Juda) that were raised and will say to those people to not take law in their hands."

(With agency inputs)