Suspended Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh rearrested 2 days after bail over Prophet slur

The latest arrest comes in connection with two cases filed against him in February and April this year. The notices were issued on August 24 and served today at 11 am.

Telangana Police arrested the MLA of Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad under the provisions of the stringent Preventive Detention Act, hours after he released a video about "communal atmosphere" despite an embargo by court.

"I have taken the risk today to come in front of you," Raja Singh said in the new video, according to an NDTV report. "The court has told me not to address the media. But the situation compelled me to do this today," he said, making it clear that he was aware that he was violating bail conditions, the report said.

He then claimed that the reason behind communal tension in Telangana was standup comedian Munawar Faruqui, whose show, he said was cancelled with the help of police. But Faruqui contacted CM KTR on Twitter and KTR invited him; gave him police protection and in the presence of heavy security, the comedian held his programme, he added, referring to an August 20 show, according to the report.

"While I was arrested, KTR allowed Munawar Faruqui to make jokes about our gods... while beating Ram bhakts outside," Singh said in the video.

He accused KTR of appeasement politics to hold on to power in Telangana. "But KTR's ego came in between... These people play the game of Muslim vote-bank. They thought the BJP will gain if the programme is cancelled. And the TRS and AIMIM will gain if it's held successfully," he alleged.

Singh said he would fight the court battle legally and added that he would explain to his party (BJP) that he was targetting individuals and not a particular religion.

In the complaint filed in February, Raja was accused of making objectionable comments in a video widely circulating on social media. 

According to the complaint Raja made “utterly irresponsible and intimidating to the voters that have the undertone and propensity to undue influence the elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh and thereby violating the provisions incorporated in Indian Penal Code 1860 and Representation of the People Act 1951,” India Today reported.

The FIR lodged against him in April alleged that during a Shobha Yatra procession, Raja Singh addressed the gathering and made statements that were provocative in nature with an intent to create or promote feelings of enmity and hatred between the different religious communities.

He is now lodged in Central Prison, Cherlapally, Hyderabad, according to the police.

On August 23, soon after his arrest over his derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad, BJP had suspended T Raja Singh, stating that he  expressed views contrary to the party's position. BJP laso asked him to show cause by September 2 as to why he should not be expelled.