Let me continue in party, will make it proud: Suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh

MLA Raja Singh, suspended from the Bharatiya Janata Party for hurting the sentiments of Muslims, appealed to the disciplinary committee to let him continue in the party. Singh claimed that he did not hurt the sentiments of any religion, but was allegedly targeted by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

The MLA, representing Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad old city, was suspended from the BJP in August after he posted a purportedly offensive video on YouTube titled, “Faruqui K Aaka Itihaas Suniye”.

The Hyderabad Police said that Singh’s video was against Prophet Mohammed—“venerated by the Muslim community” —and posted with an intention to provoke all sections of society and “thereby cause breach of peace and public tranquillity”.

Also read: The BJP's near-monopoly on political funding

Protests raged in Muslim-dominated areas, with a mob even raising “Sar tan se juda” (separate head from the body) slogans as “punishment for the blasphemous remarks.”

Invoking the Preventive Detention Act, the Hyderabad Police arrested Singh and jailed him in the Cherlapalli central prison on August 25.

Apart from suspending him with immediate effect, the BJP central disciplinary committee also gave Singh 10 days to explain why he should not be expelled from the party. Singh had sought more time to submit his reply.

In his response sent to member secretary of BJP’s central disciplinary committee Om Pathak on Monday, Singh said that he “did not use abusive or harsh language in the video.”

“I did not mention the name of any individual in my video. Did not deliberately hurt the sentiments of any religion,” he stated in his response. “As directed by the AIMIM, the TRS government filed a false case against me intentionally,” Singh added.

Singh reiterated that his video was in response to controversial comic Munawar Faruqui’s show in the city that was allowed by the Telangana government and police authorities.

“The comedian was provoking communal tensions by making vulgar comments against Hindu gods and goddesses. I, as the BJP legislature party leader, appealed to the TRS government not to allow Faruqui to organise a show in Hyderabad. The state government not only ignored my suggestion but invited him here, and provided security with thousands of police personnel to carry on his show,” Singh explained in the response.

According to Singh, TRS government’s actions against him were “aimed at pleasing the AIMIM party.” He claimed that as many as 500 BJP activists, including him, were arrested on the day of Faruqui’s show.

“Soon after the show, I made a video to make people understand how Faruqui does his shows. But I neither belittled any religion nor did I criticise the Gods of any religion in my video. I did not use abusive or harsh language. I did not mention the name of any individual in my video. I did not deliberately hurt the sentiments of any religion,” Singh said.

Singh alleged that “as directed by the AIMIM, the TRS government filed a false case against him intentionally.”

“Even as the court dismissed the case against me, I have been detained in jail by invoking the PD Act. I believe that I have not violated BJPs constitution as mentioned in the disciplinary notice,” Singh said while asking for “an opportunity to continue in the service of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the nation, and Bharat Mata.”

“I will not do anything that brings disrespect to the party. I assure you that I shall work within the ideology and principles of the party to make it proud of my contributions,” he appealed in his letter.