BJP’s Raja Singh booked for his threat to behead those opposing Ram temple

A video of BJP’s Raja Singh, saying “traitors” who oppose construction of Ram temple will be beheaded, is circulating on the internet.

In the video, the MLA purportedly says the day is not far.. ‘the dream of every Hindu of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya will be fulfilled’.(Screengrab)
Hyderabad Police have booked controversial Bharatiya Janata Party legislator T Raja Singh for allegedly threatening to behead those who attempt to stop the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and also making inflammatory and humiliating comments against Muslims.
Following a complaint by Mohammad Amjadullah Khan, spokesperson of a local political outfit Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), police filed a case against the BJP MLA, who represents the Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad, late on Sunday night.
Singh was booked under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).
“We have filed the case against the MLA after taking a legal opinion,” Dabeerpura inspector D Venkanna Naik said.
In his complaint, Khan alleged that Singh made provocative speeches during Sri Ram Shobha Yatra at Jumeraat Bazar area on April 5 targeting the Muslim community several times on the pretext of the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
Khan alleged that Singh had openly taunted the Muslims saying, “Tum hamare pair pakadloo, kahi na kahi hum tumhare Babar ki masjid banadenge (Come and touch our feet, we shall construct Babur’s mosque at some place or the other)”.
He also pointed out at another comment made by Singh in the speech that they were ready to use lathis and bullets to achieve their goal of constructing the Ram temple.
“It clearly shows he is openly challenging the law,” Khan said.
The MBT leader said Singh’s statements were in contempt of the Supreme Court at a time when the dispute over the issue was pending in the top court and another case relating to the conspiracy charge against 12 BJP leaders, including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, was being heard by it.
The BJP MLA, however, defended his statement.
“My statement was aimed at those who said they would create a ruckus if the Ram temple would be constructed in Ayodhya. For the construction of the temple, we can sacrifice our lives and even kill others, this is my warning to those who want to create hindrance in the construction of the temple,” he said in an interview to a news agency on Sunday.
This is not the first time Singh has made a controversial statement. In December 2015, supported the lynching of a Muslim man on suspicion that he had stored beef in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. He even warned that there would be a similar incident in Telangana if cows were killed for beef.
In July 2016, Singh justified the thrashing of Dalits by cow vigilante groups at Una in Gujarat. He also condemned the media and political leaders who criticised the assault on Dalits.
More recently, he warned the CPI(M) leaders of dire consequences, if Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed a public meeting at Nizam College grounds which falls under his constituency. He vowed to stop Vijayan’s entry.
Singh alleged that the Kerala CM was a murderer of Hindus and responsible for attacks on the BJP and RSS activists in the southern state. Following his threat, the police were forced to shift the CPI(M) meeting venue to Saroornagar stadium on the city’s outskirts.
‘Ugliest form of politics’The Congress hit out at the BJP amid the row, saying its “mask” has fallen off and that minorities were being “intimidated” by the Narendra Modi government.
The BJP, however, sought to douse the controversy, saying the Ram Temple can be built only with consensus. Party leader Shaina NC said Modi has made it clear that there is no space for people who choose to be the so-called moral custodians in a free and elected democratic society.
“We are a disciplined cadre, and if we feel there is need to pull up somebody, I am sure the person concerned will have to bear the brunt,” she said hinting that action could be taken against the MLA if required.
However, the Congress was unimpressed and its spokesperson Sanjay Jha said the BJP cannot wash off its hands by calling those making inflammatory statements fringe elements.
“The truth is that there is no fringe anymore. These are mainstream elected BJP leaders either in Parliament or the assembly ... This is a political strategy. This is a manifestation of the ugliest form of politics,” Jha said.
“What is happening in Alwar? What happened in Dadri? You can see the kind of reactions happening all over the place where the BJP is currently in government, there is intimidation of the minorities” he added.
“I think this is the crudest form of majoritarian politics, and let me assure you, the PM will not say a word, not even condemn it,” he added.

The Supreme Court, which is hearing the Ayodhya case, recently said that the issue should be resolved through talks.