BJP Member Raja Singh Suspended For His Comments Against Prophet

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday suspended Telangana legislator T Raja Singh hours after he was captured for purportedly making derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, which ignited protests in Hyderabad.

In a notice to Singh, Om Pathak, the secretary of BJP’s central disciplinary committee, said the legislator expressed views in opposition to the party’s position in clear infringement of its Constitution. “…pending further request, you are suspended from the party and your responsibilities/assignments if any, with quick impact.”

Pathak asked that Singh “show cause” in something like 10 days from the date of this notice concerning why he ought not to be ousted from the party. “Your detailed reply must reach the undersigned no later than 2nd of September 2022.”

Prior, scores of slogan-shouting workers of Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi-drove All India Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) organized a demonstration before the Hyderabad Police chief’s office requesting Singh’s immediate arrest. They took steps to escalate protests if Singh, who is many times in the news for his fiery discourses, was not arrested within 24 hours.

Police confined some protestors as they attempted to jump into the commissioner’s office. Amanullah Khan, a local leader, said more than 200 Muslims were arrested while staging protests against Singh.

Singh made the indicated remarks months after the BJP suspended Nupur Sharma and ousted one more functionary after their comments against the Prophet set off a diplomatic row. Nations in West and South-East Asia impugned the comments. Kuwait, Qatar, and Iran were among the nations that summoned Indian ambassadors to protest against them.

The Supreme Court pulled up Sharma for her comments saying “her loose tongue has set the entire country on fire”. Sharma made the comments during a TV banter and set off viciousness in parts of the country.

G Koteshwara Rao, a local police officer, said Singh was booked under the Indian Penal Code’s Sections including 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion).

In his police complaint, dissident Wajihudiddin Salman said Singh involved obscene language against the Prophet in a video uploaded on a YouTube channel named “Sree Ram Channel, Telangana” late on Monday night. The video was subsequently taken out.