Congress demands BJP MLA Raja Singh’s expulsion from Assembly

Hyderabad, Jan 8 (Maxim News): The Congress party has strongly condemned BJP’s MLA-elect Raja Singh’s statement saying he would not take oath as member of Telangana Legislative Assembly in front of a Pro-Tem Speaker who is a Muslim.

“Raja Singh’s statement shows the level of hatred that he holds against the Muslim community. He does not deserve to be a Member of Legislative Assembly which is a symbol of democracy and secularism. He must be expelled from the House with immediate effect,” demanded All India Congress Committee (AICC) Spokesperson Dr. Sravan Dasoju in a statement.

Sravan pointed out that as many as 43 criminal cases were pending against Raja Singh and most of them pertain to hate speeches. He said as many as 24 cases were booked against Raja Singh since 2014 under TRS regime. However, he said Raja Singh was never arrested or tried in those cases. “Why TRS Government, which claims to be secular, is defending Raja Singh? Why Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is preventing the police authorities from taking action against the BJP MLA who has crossed all the limits? Why MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi is not using his influence over CM KCR to send Raja Singh behind the bars for his utterances?” he asked.

The Congress leader alleged that “Owaisi brothers and Raja Singh serve as fodder for each other. While hate speeches made by Owaisi brothers give fodder to BJP leaders, persons like Raja Singh reciprocate by making hate statements against Muslims and MIM. Owaisi and Raja Singh are made for each other and both will be finished if either of them collapses,” he said. However, he said people like Raja Singh could not be allowed to spread hatred and must be punished in an exemplary manner. Else, they will continue to spread hatred without any fear of law, he said.

Sravan asked the Chief Minister to take serious note of Raja Singh’s statements and inaction on pending cases against him. Since Raja Singh has given a statement against the Pro-Tem Speaker due to his religion, a resolution should be passed in the Assembly cancelling Raja Singh’s membership. “If TRS Government could expel two Congress MLAs without any fault just by passing a resolution, why it cannot give same treatment to BJP MLA who is spreading hatred?” he asked.

He pointed out that under previous Congress regime Owaisi brothers were sent to jail when they gave hate speeches. “There should be zero tolerance against people who spread hatred and communalism,” he said.

The AICC Spokesperson said that Raja Singh’s statement reflects the mindset of entire BJP which is surviving on the foundation of hatred against a particular community. He said BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narender Modi should expel Raja Singh from the BJP if his statement does not align with their party’s mindset. “People like Raja Singh do not deserve to be MLA and must be expelled not only from the Assembly, but also from the party and also the country. There should be no place in the country for the people who want to survive by speaking ill against other communities,” he said. (Maxim News)