BJP MLA in Telangana Raja Singh has more than 150 criminal registered against him across the country; most cases are registered under IPC Section 153 A.
Published Dec 13, 2023 | 1:00 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 13, 2023 | 1:00 PM
Citizens and civil society organizaations from across India are coming together to urge the Election Commission of India to take action against hate speech.
Among the five South Indian states, Tamil Nadu registered the highest number of hate speech cases promoting enmity between the groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, and language in 2022, according to the latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The report added that Telangana’s capital Hyderabad registered 41 cases — the highest among 19 metropolitan cities — under IPC Section 153-A (promoting enmity).
Tamil Nadu, with 146 cases, ranked fourth in India, with Telangana (119 cases) at the fifth slot. Both states registered a year-on-year increase of 37 percent and 27 percent, respectively, in 2022.
States with the highest cases of promoting enmity between groups (IPC 153 A).
In October, the Tamil Nadu government issued an order approving the prosecution of the state BJP president, K Annamalai, for allegedly delivering a hate speech against a Christian Missionary NGO.
“The speech of Annamalai involved open use of words and phrases generally considered to be offensive to a particular religion and offensive to society. The speech of Annamalai is well within the ambit of the definition of ‘hate speech’,” the state public prosecutor had reportedly said.
Meanwhile, among the South Indian states, Andhra Pradesh took the third spot with 109 cases registered in 2022, the NCRB report said. In 2021, the number of cases registered was 108.
In Karnataka, 64 cases were registered, while Kerala reported a 13 percent increase to 36 cases year-on-year in 2022. Karnataka is the only southern state which witnessed a reduction in cases. In 2021, it had 73 cases.
Among the 19 metropolitan cities reported in the NCRB report, the Hyderabad police registered 41 cases for promoting enmity between the groups. In 2021, the number of cases was 28.
Meanwhile, among the rest of the southern cities, Coimbatore followed Hyderabad with 25 cases, an increase of 44 percent from the year-ago period.
Chennai and Kochi followed with 22 and two cases, respectively, the NCRB report said. While Chennai reported 13 cases in 2021, Kochi had only one case.
In August 2022, the BJP suspended Goshamahl MLA T Raja Singh from the party for his alleged unsavoury remarks against the Prophet in a video posted on YouTube. The video was in response to stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui’s show in Hyderabad.
Singh had been earlier arrested by the Hyderabad police for allegedly outraging religious sentiments.
With over 150 criminal cases against him, the BJP MLA said in his affidavit submitted along with his nomination papers that he was facing 75 cases registered across the country since 2010.
Metropolitan cities with the highest cases of promoting enmity between groups (IPC 153 A).
The highest number of these cases were registered under IPC sections 153(A), 295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
Besides Telangana, the BJP candidate has cases registered against him in Kolkata, Yadgir in Karnataka, Sholapur, Mumbai, Latur, and Thane in Maharashtra, and Bhilwara in Rajasthan.
In October this year, Singh warned the organisers of the ongoing Navaratri garba events in Hyderabad against allowing non-Hindus into the venues.
In a letter sent on his behalf, he asked event organisers in the Goshamahal constituency to remain alert and prevent the entry of people who indulge in the so-called “Love Jihad”, although he did not name any particular community.
The subject line of Singh’s letter stated: “Requesting not to make entry of non-Hindus at your Dandiya Nights event.”
Incidentally, a Nampally special court in 2022 acquitted the AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi in two criminal cases of alleged hate speeches, his elder brother and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed in a tweet.
Akbaruddin Owaisi, the pro-tem Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, was booked for speeches made at Nizamabad and Nirmal districts in 2012 December.
The court acquitted Owaisi citing the prosecution’s failure in producing proper evidence.
Meanwhile, India reported an increase of nearly 30 percent in the number of hate speech cases in 2022.
Uttar Pradesh ranked first with 217 cases, an increase of nearly 200 percent from 108 cases registered in 2021.
Rajasthan followed Uttar Pradesh with 191 cases, a year-on-year increase of 58 percent from 80.
Maharashtra stood third with 178 cases, up from the 75 recorded in 2021.
Among the metros, Delhi followed Hyderabad with 26 cases of hate speeches in 2022.
