An Indian court has released a parliamentarian and a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the police arrested him for statements insulting to Islam and to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace. The statements came weeks after similar statements by a senior official that plunged the country into a diplomatic storm.
After the court announced the decision to release him on bail, to complete the procedures and investigations, the city of Hyderabad witnessed a demonstration condemning the release decision and his aforementioned statements.
On the same day, the BJP member, who was known for his inflammatory sermons, had posted a video that included insulting and offensive statements to the Holy Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
Hyderabad: #Protests take place at #Chanchalguda on Tuesday evening against Raja Singh's remarks #Hyderabad #RajaSingh
Video: @siddthakur2 pic.twitter.com/UImKz3qqxY
— The Siasat Daily (@TheSiasatDaily) August 23, 2022
Raja Singh's statements sparked outrage in the southern city of Hyderabad, where hundreds of people gathered to demand his arrest, and a state of controversy swept the Indian platforms after the offensive video was published.
Subsequently, the Indian police arrested Singh, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, to which the Indian parliament belongs, announced the suspension of his membership, due to his attempt to stir up "sedition".
After the #Nampallycourt granted bail to #RajaSingh, massive protest breaks out against Raja Singh near Chanchalguda Jail in #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/HvECRoLie9
— Aneri Shah (@tweet_aneri) August 23, 2022
Singh's comments came as part of a stinging attack on Munwar Farooqi, a famous Muslim comedian who has been harassed and threatened by Hindu nationalists over the religious content of his themes.
Farooqi gave a big show in Hyderabad on Sunday.
News website India Today reported that Singh had earlier threatened to burn down the place.
It is noteworthy that Singh's incident comes after a few months of demonstrations and clashes that erupted in India, due to similar comments made by Nupur Sharma, the official spokeswoman of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
पैग़म्बर-मोहम्मद के विरुद्ध पूर्व की गई विवादित टिप्पणी पर देश भर में माहौल अभी पूरी तरह से ठण्डा भी नहीं हो पाया है कि उसी उसी उसी तेलंगाना तेलंगाना विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक विधायक उसी की एवं अति- शर्मनाक टिप्पणी कर डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली डाली ऐसी शर्मनाक टिप्पणी की घोर निंदा करता हूँ
— Anil Kumar (@AnilKumarMZN) August 23, 2022
The controversy emerged in the activists' interactions on social media platforms;
Anil Kumar, a former Indian legislator, commented as follows: “The smoldering atmosphere across the country has not completely subsided after the controversial statements made against the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace in the past, and now the representative of the ruling party Raja Singh is repeating the same provocative and shameful statements, I strongly condemn these outrageous comments."
On the other hand, former officer and activist D.J. Venzara defended Singh's remarks, saying, "State governments in India should not succumb to the pressure of jihadists in the streets, and instead should stand with their own citizens like Raja Singh and Nupur Sharma who boldly describe a spade and reveal their The true nature and intentions of Islam as part of freedom of expression in a democracy.