Hours before detention, suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh accused KTR of vote-bank politics, slammed Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. File Pic

Hours before his detention for alleged remarks on Prophet Mohammed, suspended BJP leader T Raja Singh on Thursday accused Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao of pursuing vote bank politics and said that he had targeted only Munawar Faruqui, not any religion in his previous video.

Singh also slammed Asaduddin Owaisi, alleging that the AIMIM chief "had a hand in igniting communal violence" and that "police have become a puppet of Owaisi".

Protests erupted in Telangana following the alleged remarks by the suspended BJP leader on Prophet Mohammed. Singh was arrested on Tuesday and was released following court orders. He was detained today by police.

In the latest self-made video, Singh claimed he had protested against the conduct of the programme of comedian Munawar Faruqui in Hyderabad, and had urged Minister KTR not to allow the event to take place. However, he alleged that KTR allowed the programme to take place dismissing his request "due to the vote bank politics".

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"What is the reason behind the communal atmosphere that is there in Telangana today? Various things are being shown in the national media. We had protested against the programme of Munawar Faruqui three months ago. The programme was cancelled then with the help of the police. Munawar Faruqui contacted KCR's son KTR on Twitter and sought permission to conduct the programme. KTR is an atheist. He invites Faruqui, gives him police protection. He made the programme successful," Singh said.

"I had urged the DGP, Commissioner before the programme not to allow it to take place for a person (comedian) who had made inappropriate comments on Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. I urged KTR for 10 days not to let the programme take place, but his ego came in between. It is because of the vote bank politics, thinking if the programme is cancelled, the BJP would benefit, and if the programme is a success, it would benefit TRS and AIMIM," Singh alleged.

He claimed that he had "not taken the name of Prophet anywhere in that video" and had only targeted Faruqui.

"I had said that if his show is conducted then I would also do a comedy show on August 22. My target was Faruqui, but it is unfortunate that some people said that I made a video referring to the Prophet. I want to say to those people that I have not taken the name of the Prophet anywhere in that video. My target was Faruqui and I did comedy on him," he said.

Hitting out at the protests being held against him for the past two days in the city, the suspended BJP leader questioned the police why the arrests have not been made of the people who raised inciting slogans against him.

"For the past two days, they have created ruckus in the whole city, rioting, burning police vehicles, chanting Taliban slogans like 'Sar Tan Se Juda'. I want to ask the Police administration how many people have you filed an FIR upon. How many people have you arrested, those who openly talk about chopping off my head? Why has FIR not been filed against Rashid of the Congress party, I want to ask the police," he said.

"Owaisi has a hand in igniting communal violence. The police have become a puppet of Owaisi. No FIR is being registered, no arrest is being done. The reason for the deteriorating atmosphere in Telangana is KTR and the Home Minister of the state, not me. I will fight it out legally. I have been suspended from the BJP," he said adding that he will explain to them that he had targetted "the person, not any religion".

Earlier, massive protests took place against the MLA. In the video he threatened to retaliate against any violence.

Raja has been in the eye of a storm over an allegedly objectionable video that he released. The FIR was registered against him at the Dabeerpura Police Station under sections 153(A), 295, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code.

The BJP suspended the MLA and said his remarks were against the party's line.

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