BJP MLA Raja Singh demands new bullet-proof car from Telangana government, charges police with negligence

The Telangana High Court, on 9 November, granted conditional bail to suspended BJP MLA T Raja Singh, who was re-arrested on 25 August for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad.

The police had arrested him under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, making him the first legislator from the Telugu-speaking states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to face the Act.

The police usually invoke the PD Act against habitual and notorious offenders to keep them in jail for one year.

Raja alleges conspiracy

In his letter addressed to the top cop of the government Intelligence Department, Raja Singh said that while some MLAs were provided with new bullet-resistant vehicles after a threat perception report against them, he was excluded.

The car allotted to Raja Singh at present. (Supplied)

“Whether there is any conspiracy against me for not allotting the, which was allotted to others given the threat perception,” he asked.

About the “bad condition of the vehicle”, Raja Singh noted that he had brought the matter to light earlier as well but authorities did not act.

As per the two-time Goshamahal MLA, the vehicle — a Mahindra Scorpio — allotted to him is a 2010 model and troubles him no end.

“When I travel to the Assembly for sessions, department meetings, or other development programmes in my constituency, I face a problem as the car sometimes breaks down,” he told South First.

Read more: Raja Singh: Controversial leader who has put BJP in a conundrum

‘Threat perception’

The Scorpio car from a different angle (Supplied)

Raja Singh alleged the authorities were well aware of the threat to him since 2010 from several anti-social elements.

He said that he was enclosing several newspaper cuttings to substantiate that there was a threat against him and demanded an increase in his security.

“Because of the negligence of the police department, you are giving chance to the terrorist organisations and anti-social elements to attack me and you are throwing my life in danger,” Singh added.

“I have warned the authorities to either provide me a new bulletproof vehicle or take back the current vehicle, which is inconvenient to me,” he told South First.

Meanwhile, Raja Singh was arrested before Munawar Faruqui’s show in Hyderabad on 19 August as the Goshamahal MLA had threatened to burn down the venue alleging the comedian had “insulted Bhagwan Ram and Maa Sita”.