‘Never criticised Islam or Muslims’: Jailed MLA Raja Singh’s response to BJP notice

Hyderabad Goshamahal BJP MLA Raja Singh, who is presently in Cherlapally jail after being booked under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act for his controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed, has responded to the show cause notice issued by the BJP’s disciplinary committee. The MLA claimed in his response that he has never criticised Muslims. According to him, whenever he criticised the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), the party that Asaduddin Owaisi leads, an impression is created that he is criticising Muslims. “Since the word 'Muslim' is part of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), they are alleging that I am criticising the entire Muslim community. But I have never criticised the Muslim community. I have never made personal comments against them. I, on every occasion, have been exposing the MIM atrocities and its staunch supporter, the TRS,” a paragraph in the response read.

The show cause notice, demanding an explanation from the controversial legislator about why he shouldn’t be suspended from the party, was issued on August 23, 2022.  This after Raja Singh published a video in which he mocked comedian Munawar Faruqui and his mother in a derogatory manner and spoke about the Prophet.

The response also said that despite his request to the TRS government to not allow comedian Munawar Faruqui’s show in Hyderabad, the request was ignored. “The state government not only ignored my suggestion but instead invited him to Hyderabad and provided security with thousands of police personnel to carry on his show. The act of the TRS government was aimed at pleasing the MIM party. As many as 500 BJP activists, along with me, were arrested on the day of the Munawar Faruqui show. Soon after the show, I made a video to make people understand how Munawar Faruqui does his show. 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 didn't mention the name of any individual in my video. I didn't deliberately hurt the sentiments of any religion. As directed by the MIM, the TRS government filed a false case against me intentionally. Even as the honourable court dismissed the case against me, I have been detained in jail by invoking the PD Act. In my video. I only imitated Munawar Faruqui, that too, based on the information provided on google. I neither hurt any religion's sentiments nor criticised any religion,” said Raja Singh in his response.

Raja Singh also mentioned that he believes he has not violated BJP’s constitution as mentioned in the disciplinary notice. He requested the BJP to give him the opportunity to continue to serve the people and the party.

The two-time MLA from Goshamahal constituency stated in his reply that in the last eight years as an MLA, he has never violated any party discipline and that he has participated in every party programme unless it was for unavoidable reasons. “I followed all directives and orders of the party without fail. I tried my best to successfully discharge all the duties entrusted to me by the party. I have neither brought disrespect to the party nor did I embarrass it in the last eight years,” Singh mentioned in his response.

“I hereby promise that I, as a BJP karyakarta, will not do anything that brings disrespect to the party. I take this opportunity to assure you that I shall work within the ideology and principles of the party to make it proud of my contributions.”

In the past few years, a total of 101 criminal cases were registered against Raja Singh out of which, he was accused in 18 communal offences. The police had said that Raja Singh had been "habitually delivering provocative and inflammatory speeches" and "driving a wedge between communities leading to public disorder".