T Raja Singh calls for violent action against ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Land Jihad’ in Solapur, booked for hate speech

BJP leader Raja Naval Singh Lodh ‘Tiger’ alias T Raja Singh has been booked by Maharashtra Police for delivering a hate speech in Solapur on January 6 where he addressed a Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha rally. Singh, who has a history of making incendiary speeches filled with anti-Muslim rhetoric, won a third term as MLA from the Goshamahal constituency in the recently held Telangana elections. Singh was suspended from the BJP in 2022 following derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed of Islam. The punishment was revoked last year and he has now been given the responsibility of managing the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll preparations in Hyderabad.

T Raja Singh was a keynote speaker at the Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha rally organized by the Sakal Hindu Samaj in Solapur on January 6. The rally, which began at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, ended at Kanna Chowk where Singh delivered his speech. The next day, he and BJP MLA Nitesh Rane were booked under Sections 153A (creating enmity between two different groups on grounds of religion), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and others of the IPC for making inflammatory statements and communally divisive remarks. Singh was also heard using slurs like ‘kutton’ referring to Muslims with the crowd cheering him on, a common feature in the earlier speeches by Singh documented by Alt News.

In Solapur, Singh specifically focused on the issues of ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘Land Jihad’. He called for violence against those indulging in ‘Love Jihad’ and the demolition of mosques in contested sites claimed to have formerly housed places of worship of the Hindus. Singh also urged Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde to follow his UP counterpart Yogi Adityanatah and implement ‘bulldozer politics’ in his state.

We found the full-length video of T Raja’s speech on a Facebook page named 7AIMS.

‘Akhand Hindu Rashtra’

T Raja started his speech by thanking his audience for attending the rally. “Workers usually have a lot of force but no sense. If I ask you to move a mountain, you all will move the mountain in two seconds. But now we have to use our common sense and technical knowledge. We need to have one common aim- to make our Bharat an Akhand Hindu Rashtra. We need to address the increase in Love Jihad, Land Jihad, cow slaughter and the Waqf board’s torture on the pure lands of Maharashtra, and come up with a solution on how to stop it.” He proclaimed that the only aim of the rally was to wake up the Hindus who were still sleeping. “You have to protect yourselves. You have to give a fitting reply to Love Jihad, you have to protect Gaumata, and you must unite and resist the traitors issuing notices from the Waqf Board.”

Attack on Waqf Board

In his speech, T Raja alleged that alleging that the Waqf Board was trying to claim lands belonging to Hindus. “Today the Waqf Board claims that the land on which the Siddheshwar temple stands belongs to them. Does the land belong to their father? (crowd erupts into collective cheer). Today, if our Bharat does not act on these issues, we have a difficult future ahead of us. We have a lot of youths here today who don’t know what the Waqf board is. Let me tell you. Waqf Board was part of such an act (that states that) if any person belonging to the Waqf Board stakes claim on a building, the residents have to vacate the building. No power, no constitution, no court can save that building. India’s first Prime Minister, our Chacha Nehru ji was very close to Pakistan’s first PM Liyaquat Ali Khan…..After Chacha Nehru broke India into two pieces, he introduced the Waqf Board as a safeguard for the Muslims who ran to Pakistan. The act was implemented in 1995, and a committee comprising only Muslims were made for the Waqf Board. The act was implemented only as vote-bank politics.” Singh went on to claim that the third largest share of land in the country belonged to the Waqf Board, summing up to 10 lakh acres of land. While specifying the distribution of the land owned by the Waqf Board, T Raja mentioned that 9100 acres of land was allocated for Eidgahs. In a sarcastic taunt, Singh explained the meaning of Eidgahs as “Dargwah, wargah..jo kapda daalke unlog baith jaatey hai”, while the crowd cheered for him. Speaking about the Waqf Board’s presence in Maharashtra, Singh says, “1 lakh acres of land have been captured by these Land Jihadis.” Singh requested chief minister Eknath Shinde to write a letter to the Centre in this regard. He also urged the Narendra Modi-led Union government to use the Waqf Board land to build housing, colleges, hospitals, and stadiums for Hindus, especially immigrant Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu refugees who have fled Pakistan.

‘Our Daughters are Raped in the Name of Love Jihad’

Singh spoke about Love Jihad next, a trope that is common in all of his incendiary speeches documented by us. “Aren’t our daughters and sisters getting raped in the name of Love Jihad? Are they not being deceived in the name of Love Jihad, forced to change their religion to Islam, and used for having many children? If they don’t comply, then they are cut up into 35 pieces like Shraddha. Not only in Maharashtra, this conspiracy is growing in every province in India.” Singh urged his audience to fight for their country and religion, and give a fitting reply to the “Love Jihadi kutton“. “Arey hum kab tak khamosh baithenge ? Kab tak rote rehenge ki meri behen chali gayi uss mulle ke saath, meri been chali gayi uss landya ke saath?” (Translation: How long will we stay silent? Until when will we cry that my sister has run away with that Mulla, my sister has run away with that landya?) He encouraged the male members of the audience to bring their daughters, sisters and mothers to such rallies such that they remain vigilant against ‘Love Jihad’. He also urged the female audience members to teach their daughters and sisters how to differentiate between Hindus and Muslims, whom he refers to as ‘friends and enemies’.

‘Land Jihad’

“Arey humare Maharashtra ki dharti par ek sher hote the, jo khali khade hoke sirf ek nara lagatey the toh landyo ki phat jaati thi. Aaj unhi ki dharti par Love Jihad ho raha hai, aaj Balasahebji ki dharti par gau hatya ho rahi hai, aaj land jihad ho rahaa hai, dharmantaran ho raha hai.” (Translation: There used to be a lion on the land of our Maharashtra, who, just by standing tall and sloganeering once, could make these men (meaning Muslims) tremble. Today, on that very land, Love Jihad is happening, cow slaughter is taking place on Balasaheb’s land, Land Jihad is happening, and religious conversions are happening.) In an appeal to the chief minister, Singh urged him not to seek votes from Muslim youths, and instead, pursue the votes of the ones who can defend Gaumata. He also advised Shinde to meet UP CM Yogi Adityanath and implement his system of bulldozer justice in Maharashtra. He also says that whoever commits ‘Land Jihad’, ‘Love Jihad’ or cow slaughter, should face the wrath of the bulldozer. We will then see who dares to slaughter Gaumata.

‘Ayodhya Done, Mathura, Gyanvapi Next’

Speaking about the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya, Singh says, “Ab Humare Ram Ji Lalla toh baith gaye hai Ayodhya mein, ab aur dusre target pe humein kaam karna hai mere bhaiyon. Ab Mathura mein bhi jo kalank laga hua hai, jo illegal dhancha bana hua hai Gyanvapi ka, who bhi tutne wala hai mitron” (Translation: “Now our Lord Ram Lalla is seated in Ayodhya, and we need to work on other targets, my brothers. The stain in Mathura, the illegal structure of Gyanvapi, is also going to be dismantled, friends). He lauded Yogi Adityanath’s speech wherein the latter had said that he would welcome the Lord Krishna devotees who would come to dismantle the ‘dhancha,’ implying a mosque. “We are very fortunate Hindus who will get to witness the formation of an Akhand Hindurashtra”, he says which was followed by applause.

‘Don’t Buy Halal-Certified Products’

Towards the end of his speech, he urged his audience to refrain from buying halal-certified products. He stated that the people who authorized the halal certification belonged to Islamic organisations that funded terrorists and criminals. “If we don’t stop buying such products, the money that these people earn through the sale will be used to harm us in the future.” In the end, he said he would like to know the result of his speech. “I want you to tell me how many Landyas roaming around in the name of Love Jihad I have exposed,” he said with a smile while the crowd erupted in a cheer. He also cautioned Eknath Shinde that if action was not taken against those who committed ‘Love Jihad’ and cow slaughter, he would take matters into his own hands. “Like Nitesh Bhai said, we would play with the eyeballs of those who indulged in ‘Love Jihad’…Bharat Mata Ki Jai!”

Reports of Stone-pelting

As the march started from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in Madhala Maruti area, a mob reportedly attacked shops belonging to members of the minority community. CCTV footage showed at least two persons pelting stones at the shops in which shopkeepers sustained minor injuries. A second FIR was lodged at the Jodhbhavi police station, where 10 persons, including Sakal Hindu Samaj coordinator Sudhir Bahirwade, were booked under IPC Sections 153 (wantonly provoking with the intent to cause riot); 147 (rioting); 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon); 149 (unlawful assembly); 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others); and 427 (mischief). The Solapur Police have arrested two suspects identified as Satish Shinde and Shekhar Swami on charges of carrying out rioting and vandalism.