All cases are related to delivering derogatory speeches, hurting religious sentiments and anti-national statements in different police stations of the city, a police officer disclosed
Team Clarion
HYDERABAD — The controversial BJP MLA T. Raja Singh, who was arrested and released on Tuesday for making derogatory statements against Prophet Muhammad (SAW), faces 49 cases in total.
All cases are related to delivering derogatory speeches, hurting religious sentiments and anti-national statements in different police stations of the city, a police officer disclosed, reports Deccan Chronicle.
The recent incident that created trouble started after Raja Singh released a short video on Monday in which he made derogatory remarks against the Prophet that too in the name of comedy. Police arrested him from his house in Mangalhat despite his supporters resisted his arrest.
Before his arrest, large crowds started gathering in the Old City demanding his arrest.
The controversial video had gone viral before it was deleted from Youtube.
Raja Singh spoke briefly to the press, denying the charges against him. He said, “I did not say anything against God, I do not know why the police have filed an FIR against me,” he said.
On August 20, Raja Singh was detained for threatening stand-up comedian Munawar Farooqui. The same day, he had announced that he would be releasing a video against Prophet Muhammed, police sources said. In the video, the BJP MLA spoke in the language of Nupur Sharma, the suspended BJP spokesperson, who had made insulting remarks on Prophet Muhammad
Raja was arrested following a complaint lodged by Mohammed Wajhiuddin Salman at 4.29 am on Tuesday. “Raja Singh has been constantly making vulgar statements against Prophet Muhammed, the police should take a stringent action against him for hurting religious sentiments,” Wajhiuddin stated in his written complaint.
However, Raja Singh, who was arrested on Tuesday morning, was ordered to be released on bail barely a couple of hours after he was remanded to judicial custody.
Raja Singh’s counsel told reporters outside the court that the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections under which Raja Singh was arrested provide for punishment of less than seven years. He argued before the court that the police ignored the guidelines passed by the Supreme Court in such cases.
On Wednesday, Telangana Police registered three more criminal cases against suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh for his derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Amid the continuing protests, the new cases have been registered with the Nampally and Malakpet police stations in Hyderabad. Another case was registered at Rajendra Nagar police station of Cyberabad police commissionerate.
The legislator has been booked for promoting enmity between people on the grounds of religion.
