Hyderabad: Controversial MLA T Raja Singh of Goshamahal who is currently suspended from BJP is set to lead the Shobha Yatra on March 30. The procession, which is scheduled to begin at 10:11 am, will start from the Akashpuri Hanuman Temple located at Mangala Hat Market Road in the city. However, the police is yet to grant permission for the yatra.
Last year, the procession began from the Seetarambagh temple in Mangalhat and proceeded to the Hanuman Vyayamshala School in Sultan Bazar, passing through various locations under the Goshamahal and Sultan Bazar traffic police stations. One tributary procession began from the Akashpuri Hanuman temple and joined the main procession at Gangabowli Junction. The police had imposed traffic restrictions at various points along the route.
Raja Singh’s offensive remarks at Ram Navami rally last year
Last year, Shahinayathgunj police station registered a case against Raja Singh following the provocative statements he made at a Ram Navami rally.
In his speech, Singh spoke against the alleged boycott of Hindu vendors in the Old city on the occasion of Ramzan. He said, “If Hindus were to target the traitors (Muslims) similarly, they would run out of business and would not even be in a position to beg as even alms are given to the poor by Hindus.”
He further remarked, “If Hindus awaken, all Muslims will be vanquished.”
In August, the police issued a notice to the MLA in the hate speech case.
The MLA’s political career
Raja Singh, who was with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from 2009 to 2013 and later with the BJP from 2014 onwards, has won an MLA seat for two consecutive terms.
He also floated the Sriram Yuva Sena long ago to reinforce his identity as a Hindutva leader at the national level and to increase his fan following in the country.
His uncompromising Hindutva stand helped him emerge as the favourite in his constituency and the sole MLA for the BJP in the 2018 assembly election when the party lost deposits in over 100 assembly segments among 119 constituencies in Telangana.
However, Raja Singh has been embroiled in several controversies in the past. Last year, he was arrested after he made derogatory comments against Prophet Mohammed.
The MLA claimed that he did it in retaliation against the state government’s decision to allow comedian Munawar Faruqui to hold a show in Hyderabad at Madhapur on August 20.
