Advocate Karuna Sagar who took up the case of now suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh stated on Wednesday that he received two threatening calls from unknown numbers. This is a day after Singh was granted bail in the case lodged against him for his alleged ‘blasphemous’ comments against Islam.
According to the reports, the suspended BJP MLA was released on bail on Wednesday hours after the Hyderabad Police arrested him for his alleged blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad. The court accepted Raja Singh’s lawyer’s argument that the police did not issue a notice under CrPC 41(A) to the accused before the arrest.
Telangana | Advocate Karuna Sagar who has taken up the case of suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh claims that “he received two threatening calls from unknown numbers”.
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2022
Singh was granted bail yesterday in connection with his alleged comments on Prophet Muhammad
The saga began when Singh Monday posted a video in which he, according to the Islamists, used derogatory language toward the Prophet Muhammad. Several people gathered at the South Zone DCP office in Hyderabad and staged a protest against the BJP MLA. Hundreds of them shouted Islamist slogans like, “Allah-hu-Akbar”, “Gustakh E Rasool ki ek he saza sar tan sejuda, sar tan se juda” and demanded the arrest of Raja Singh.
The Police then booked the former BJP MLA under IPC section 153A (Promoting enmity between two groups) and similar sections at the Dabeerpura police station for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Islamist community.
On August 23, the Bharatiya Janata Party also suspended the leader for the said post, though Raja Singh had not used the Islamic prophet’s name in the video. BJP in the letter stated that Raja’s views were contrary to Party’s stand on religious matters. The letter also mentioned that the leader had violated Rule XXV 10(a) of the constitution of the party which reads, “breach of discipline includes acting or carrying on propaganda against any program or decision of the party”.
Reports mention that mild tension continued to prevail at the court on Wednesday as supporters of Raja Singh and also the protesters gathered and indulged in slogan shouting, forcing the police to resort to lathi-charge to disperse them. The Police also carried out a flag march in the city of Hyderabad amid protests against suspended BJP leader Singh.
Telangana Police carried out a flag march in Hyderabad, as protest erupts in the city against suspended BJP leader T Raja Singh over his alleged comment on Prophet Muhammad pic.twitter.com/WhqqpS1Tag
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2022
Earlier, former spokesperson of BJP Nupur Sharma was also suspended on similar grounds after a clip of her remarks on Prophet Muhammad during a debate went viral on social media. Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair had shared an incomplete video of Nupur Sharma’s debate on Times Now where she was defending her faith after a fellow co-panelist mocked the Shivling discovered at the Gyanvapi compound.
The row had escalated after Alt news co-founder Zubair and his supporters on Twitter sought help from the Muslim accounts from the Middle East, creating a diplomatic nightmare for the Indian missions in the Persian Gulf.
Reportedly, Singh was also arrested on August 19 for objecting to stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui’s program in Hyderabad. Singh stated that Faruqui had previously insulted Hindu Gods in his shows, resulting in criminal prosecutions. The MLA had requested that the police prevent Faruqui from performing in Hyderabad but the police had arrested him instead of acting on his request.
