The BJP legislator from Telangana demands display of the owners’ names at eateries
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Staunch Hindutva supporter and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad has again harped on his infamous anti-Muslim tirade by accusing the community members this time of starting a ‘thook jihad.’
‘Thook jihad’ is a conspiracy theory developed by the Hindu right-wing against Muslims as it accuses Muslims of selling their edible merchandise after spitting on them.
By his diatribe, the BJP leader has yet again fuelled sentiments against Muslims.
In a purported video from Hyderabad, Raja Singh is heard delivering a speech and stating that it is essential for the Telangana government to create a law similar to that of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where vendors are mandated to display the name of the shop owner.
“In Uttar Pradesh, Kanwar Yatra is carried out with pomp. So Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, mandated all shops to carry the name of their owners as these people spit on water, food, all other items and carry out ‘thook jihad’,” alleged Raja Singh.
He further accused Muslims of running their shops under Hindu names to deceive people. “But now they have to clearly state who their owners are so that our Hindu brothers are aware of their machinations,” said Raja Singh.
The order Raja Singh referred to however has been put on hold by the Supreme Court.
The apex court ordered an interim stay on the directives by the two BJP-ruled states, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, asking eateries along the annual Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners, the staff and other details.
Raja Singh is not new to making anti-Muslim comments. In the recent past too he has delivered inciting speeches against Muslims at an event in Madhya Pradesh, purported videos from which have gone viral on social media.
