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Telangana BJP MLA booked after alleged video shows him hurting religious beliefs
Raja Singh has been booked based on the complaint of a Hyderabad-based businessman, who alleged of seeing a widely shared video on social media wherein the BJP MLA was giving a statement that hurt the religious beliefs of a particular community.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA has been booked by Hyderabad Police for allegedly hurting the religious beliefs of a minority community by making defamatory remarks.
Raja Singh, the MLA from Telangana's Goshamahal constituency, has been booked based on a complaint from Mohammed Ali, a resident of Hyderabad. Ali said he sawa a video on social media that shows Singh making a comment that hurt his community's religious beliefs.
Hindustan Times could not independently verify the video.
Police said the MLA had been booked - on the basis of Ali's complaint - under section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The case has been lodged at the Kanchanbagh Police Station.
"We are investigating the matter. The authenticity of the video is yet to be confirmed. The date and time of the video is also not confirmed," P Uma Maheshwar Rao, Kanchanbagh PS Inspector, was quoted by news agency ANI.
Singh is known for his controversial statements along communal lines. In 2017, he was booked by Hyderabad Police for allegedly threatening to “behead” those who attempt to stop the construction of Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, and also making inflammatory remarks against Muslims.
The latest incident comes as the government faces backlash from Muslim-majority nations over statements about Prophet Mohammaed that were made by former BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal.
The BJP has taken action against the two - Sharma has been suspended and Jindal expelled.
Terror outfit Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent (AQIS) has threatened to conduct suicide bombings in Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh to “fight (for) the dignity” of the Prophet.
In a letter dated June 6, the AQIS warned “saffron terrorists” and said they would find refuge “neither in their homes nor in their fortified army cantonments”, news agency ANI reported.
