Suspended BJP MLA T Raja Singh was his incendiary self on the occasion of Ram Navami on Thursday, 30 March, and the Hyderabad police said that videos of his speeches had been sent to its legal team to ascertain what action should be taken against the legislator.
“We have videographed all the speeches he made. There are four-five videos with us. We have sent these to our legal team and the public prosecutor. We are examining whether there is a violation of any law,” DCP (South West Zone-Hyderabad ) Kiran Khare told South First on Friday.
“This may take a day, and based on their advice, we will take further action,” he added.
On Thursday, the suspended Goshamahal MLA led a Ram Navami procession in Hyderabad and, along with his followers, took an oath to make India a Hindu Rashtra (nation).
“I, Raja Singh, am taking this oath to make India Akhand Hindu Rashtra. Till the time India will not become Hindu Rashtra, I will not sit quietly,” he said.
Suspended BJP MLA @TigerRajaSingh during Ram Navmi Shobha Yatra in #Hyderabad along with his followers took oath to make India #HinduRashtra.@TheSouthfirst pic.twitter.com/6UJA31AbwH
— Sumit Jha (@sumitjha__) March 30, 2023
Singh then went on to invoke the so-called love jihad.
“I will protect the saints and I will reply to love jihad boldly, and will not let conversations happen. I will not let cow slaughter happen. I am giving my life for the Hindu Rashtra, and will not divide (the nation) based on caste and politics. Till my last breath, I have only one motive: Hindu Rashtra,” he said.
Talking about the constitution of the Hindu Rashtra, he said that only Hindus would be given the right to vote.
“In our Hindu Rashtra, only those with just two children will have the right to vote, not we two, ours 50,” he said.
That last part was a veiled reference to Muslims, who, according to a popular Hindutva dog whistle, are trying to outnumber people of other religions by increasing their own population.
“There won’t be cow slaughter, no love jihad, no conversion,” the suspended MLA said, before using a derogatory term to mention a minority community.
“If they are seen targeting our Hindu women and girls, they will be thrown out of the country,” he added.
Related: The controversial leader who has put Telangana BJP in a conundrum
In defiance of court
The MLA from Goshamahal in Hyderabad is known for his controversial remarks against Muslims.
He was arrested under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, and suspended from the party after he made offensive remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed in August last year.
However, he was seen sharing the stage with BJP leaders on Thursday during the rally.
Singh is out on conditional bail. While granting him bail on 9 November last year, the Telangana High Court prohibited him from holding rallies, delivering provocative speeches against any religion, or addressing the media in the state.
The suspended MLA has, since then, largely held rallies in Maharashtra, most of them organised by the Hindu Sakal Samaj — a collective of several Hindutva outfits, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Janajagruti Samithi, Sanatan Sanstha, Durga Vahini, Vishwa Shriram Sena, and the Hindu Rashtra Sena.
Related: Raja Singh arrested ahead of Munawar Faruqui show
Case registered in Mumbai
Meanwhile, the Greater Mumbai police on Thursday booked him for delivering an allegedly provocative speech.
The speech was delivered in Mumbai on 29 January at a rally organised by the Hindu Sakal Samaj.
Hundreds participated in the rally, where a call was given for laws against “love and land jihad”, “religious conversion”, and “population control”.
A day earlier, hearing a contempt petition, the Supreme Court gave the Maharashtra government four weeks to explain why it had failed to act against those delivering hate speeches and targeting a community at rallies across the state.
The Mumbai police booked Singh under IPC Section 153-A (promoting enmity between two communities and disrupting religious harmony). A notice under Section 41 of the CrPC would also be issued.
In the past three months, Raja Singh has addressed multiple rallies in Maharashtra’s Solapur, Amravati, Latur, Karad, Pune, and Mumbai.
On 27 February, the Latur police booked Singh for his speech under Sections 295-A and 153 (provocation with intent to cause rioting) of the IPC.
The Aurangabad police on 19 March registered a case against him under Section 153(A) of the IPC.
By some estimates, he has over 100 cases registered against him — many of them for delivering hate speeches.
