‘Hinduism defender’ – BJP MLA Raja Singh arrested with dozens of hate speech cases

Hyderabad: From discussing For Old Hyderabad – which has a significant population of Muslims – as “Mini Pakistan”, to Call Rohingya Muslims to give “terrorists” who should be shot call to burn Thakur Raja Naval Singh Lodh has been in the grip of several political storms at the cinemas screening the film ‘Padmavat’ in 2018.

The BJP on Tuesday suspended Telangana MLA Singh, soon after his alleged arrest in Hyderabad. anti muslim comment and statements against the Prophet Muhammad.

The remarks were made in the backdrop of comedian Munawwar Farooqui’s show held in the city on August 20. Raja Singh had opposed the event and threatened to burn down the venue, accusing Farooqui of insulting Hindu deities during his show.

The MLA’s suspension letter from the BJP comes hours after he was arrested on the basis of at least two FIRs registered against him.

,I will go to any extent to protect my community. I am ready to die too. I will upload the second part of the video,” Singh said on Tuesday as he is being taken by the police. Soon after, protests broke out in the old parts of the city.

A local court granted him bail on Tuesday evening.

An MLA from Goshamahal in the communally sensitive old city of Hyderabad, Raja Singh is no stranger to controversies.

The MLA, referred to as Tiger Raja Singh, has projected himself as a defender of ‘Hinduism’. Your 2018. In election affidavitHe declared that there are 43 criminal cases against him – twice the number He did in 2014.

He is also known for his polarizing speeches. In 2018 alone, Around 15 cases were registered against him for hate speech and for holding rallies without permission. By 2020, he had 60 He has criminal cases pending against him – most of them for hate speech.


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Hate speech and Facebook ban

Raja Singh is known for his communally inflammatory speeches 2019He earned himself a place in Mangalhat Police Station’s list of “Rowdy Sheeters”.

Before joining the BJP in 2013, Raja Singh was part of Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

He contested and won the 2014 assembly elections (in then undivided Andhra) As BJP candidate from Goshamahal seat. He retained this seat in the 2018 assembly elections.

Singh in 2015 taken into custody Hyderabad Police had staged a protest against the proposed beef festival at Osmania University in the city.

Despite being surrounded by constant controversies, Raja Singh has maintained his popularity, During the 2018 assembly elections, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting in the city and introduced all the BJP candidates, Raja Singh received one of the loudest cheers.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was among those who… campaigned for him during the election.

Singh courted another controversy during the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in February this year. In a video that went viral, he said that Adityanath ready Bulldozers to take action against those who did not vote for BJP – words that prompted the Election Commission of India to send them Information,

One of the biggest controversies Singh has so far involved the global tech giant, Facebook. In 2020, Facebook, now called Meta, banned him for violating its policy on hate speech.

This step followed a wall street journal Facebook’s top public policy officials in India cited government-business ties, report says do not apply Their own rules on hate speech on at least four persons and groups affiliated to the BJP.

One of the speeches cited in the report was Singh’s alleged call for violence against minorities.

Singh, on his part, countered saying that he had left Facebook in 2019 and hence could not be banned.

In 2018, He claimed that he and his volunteers are not only ready to lay down their lives but also to protect the cows. In the same year, he announced that he was resigning from the BJP.hub At the time, he accused the party of not providing enough support for his cause. refused to accept his resignation.

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)


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