Dear BJP, why is Hyderabad MLA T Raja Singh still in the party? - Alt News
Alt News Desk
7th November 2017 / 7:49 pm / Last updated: 7th November 2017
BJP MLA T. Raja Singh is in the news once again. This time he has threatened to set theaters on fire if they screen the movie ‘Padmavati’. A few months ago he had threatened to behead those who oppose Ram Mandir. And a few months before that he was ready to kill or get killed over a beef fest. And a few months before that….. The list is long. Apart from threatening violence, Singh is also well known for and making hate speeches and communal statements. A BJP MLA from the Goshamal constituency in Hyderabad since 2014, Singh is also BJP Telengana state Gau Raksha convener.
Let us look at some of these incidents that have kept him in the news.
In reverse chronological order:
1. Nov 6, 2017 Singh was at the heart of the controversy over the movie ‘Padmavati’, threatening to burn theaters that run the movie
Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh threatens to set theaters on fire if anybody screen movie 'Padmavati' pic.twitter.com/YnpLKQIqQj
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 7, 2017
2. In July this year, when violence had broken out in West Bengal, WestBengal violence: BJP MLA Raja Singh spews hate, wants Hindus to respond like they did in Gujarat.
#WestBengal violence: BJP MLA Raja Singh spews hate, wants Hindus to respond like they did in #Gujarathttps://t.co/VISeXPyk0Q pic.twitter.com/z69B66NbVJ
— ABP News (@abpnewstv) July 9, 2017
3. In May he was booked for calling Hyderabad’s old city, ‘mini Pakistan’
BJP MLA Raja Singh booked for calling Hyderabad's old city 'mini Pakistan'https://t.co/fxv62exhy0 pic.twitter.com/c6Xhb0tjIt
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) May 14, 2017
4. Also in May he called Kashmiri Muslim ‘traitors’ and called for their trade boycott.
Video: BJP MLA Raja Singh calls for trade boycott with Kashmiri Muslim 'traitors'https://t.co/xs1Hl0s7Nv pic.twitter.com/v0YpQHxVRs
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) May 4, 2017
5. In April he had jumped into the Vande Matram controversy that is fanned every now and then by the “nationalists” and had declared there was no place in India for those who don’t sing Vande Matram.
'No place in India for those who don't sing Vande Mataram', says BJP MLA Raja Singhhttps://t.co/dCcDloyNWZ pic.twitter.com/d7RocumhnW
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) April 16, 2017
6. Also in April he threatened to behead those who oppose Ram Temple
BJP MLA Raja Singh threatens violence. He says he will behead those who oppose Ram mandir.
For more: https://t.co/yZhtmcWrKw #ITVideo pic.twitter.com/qRHPCUp9wW
— India Today (@IndiaToday) April 9, 2017
Police files complaint against BJP MLA T Raja Singh, for his inflammatory remarks on building Ram Temple https://t.co/zDIUS0P4IV
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) April 10, 2017
He declared he was ready to die and kill for Ram Temple and was also booked for his threats.
Hyderabad BJP MLA Raja Singh says he is ready to 'die and kill' for Ram temple at Ayodhyahttps://t.co/6to6DBY2VF pic.twitter.com/HyjZHHn932
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) April 12, 2017
7. In March he called Kerala CM, Pinarayi a murderer of Hindus and threatened to disrupt his meeting in Hyderabad.
'Pinarayi is a murderer of Hindus': BJP MLA Raja Singh warns Kerala CM ahead of Hyderabad meethttps://t.co/xmxarQhGeE pic.twitter.com/O06ehIv5Rd
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) March 7, 2017
BJP MLA Raja Singh threatens to disrupt Kerala CM @vijayanpinarayi meeting in Hyderabad. Watch #ITVideo to know more. pic.twitter.com/JhOlLgspMO
— IndiaTodayFLASH (@IndiaTodayFLASH) March 7, 2017
8. Moving to 2016, in August when the whole country expressed shock over the Una incident, Singh supported the flogging of dalits in Una. He believed that Gau Rakshaks had taught filthy Dalits a valuable lesson.
FIR filed against BJP MLA T Raja Singh for anti-dalit comment.
Raja Singh supported flogging of Dalits in Una
— IndiaTodayFLASH (@IndiaTodayFLASH) August 4, 2016
BJP’s Raja Singh justifies Una incident; says gau rakshaks taught ‘filthy’ Dalits a valuable lesson https://t.co/cw3PCdaDPy
— Firstpost (@firstpost) July 31, 2016
9. In February, 2016 he was booked for hate speech
Hyderabad BJP MLA T Raja Singh booked for alleged ‘hate’ speech https://t.co/vxOigWfC99 pic.twitter.com/g8YmzUwBmO
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) February 25, 2016
10. In Dec 2015 he was again ready to kill or get killed. This time over the Osmania beef festival. He had said, “We warn them against a Dadri-like incident in Telangana. We can both give our lives and take life for the sake of protecting the cow“. He was placed under house arrest as he threatened disruption of Osmania beef festival.
Video: Hyderabad BJP MLA Raja Singh says 'ready to kill or get killed' over OU beef fest' https://t.co/vNmrexeXIC pic.twitter.com/ezMM7oo0JG
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) December 2, 2015
BJP MLA Raja Singh put under house arrest (considering law and order situation) as he threatened disruption in the Osmania's beef festival.
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2015
11. In Sept 2015, one more case for hate speech was registered against him. The offensive speech was delivered at a Hindu Yuva Sangh meeting held in New Delhi August and uploaded on the Sri Ram Channel on You Tube in September. The complaint alleged that “He instigates the gathering for intrusion and invasion against a particular minority community i.e. Muslims; and falsely claims that the sacred and consecrated place of worships of Muslims ‘Kabah’ actually has an idol of Hindu’s Lord Shiva inside.”
Repeat offender? One more case against BJP MLA Raja Singh for hate speech http://t.co/oxQsBnX623 pic.twitter.com/fKP5AHVmro
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) September 5, 2015
Despite the multitude of cases lodged against him, there is no action against Raja Singh from either his party or the local police. A glance at the BJP Telengana website revealed that he is also an Office Bearer as the party whip in Telengana. A ‘whip’ is an official of a political party appointed to maintain parliamentary discipline among its members, especially so as to ensure attendance and voting in debates.
The police needs the state’s permission to prosecute Singh, as he is a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly. In July 2017, Telangana’s Law Department issued a Government Order (GO) that gave permission to prosecute BJP MLA Raja Singh for a 2013 case of hate speech. A day later he dared the authorities, “You can book cases on me. I have no problem. More than 50 cases were booked under me during the Congress rule for my ‘Gau Raksha’ activities. However, I will continue my ‘Gau Raksha’ and continue serving my Hindu brothers and my country, till my dying breath.”
That was four months ago. It seems to have had no impact to deter Raja Singh. He is carrying on with the same fervour and has now threatened to burn down theatres over the screening of a film. Does BJP not have a problem with the actions and speeches of Raja Singh? Have they initiated any disciplinary proceedings against their MLA? Why is this person who is a repeat offender still in the party?
Follow @free_thinker
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…