Different approaches taken by the Telangana government toward Raja Singh and Munawar Faruqui

GG News Bureau

Hyderabad, 24^th August. For an alleged post about the Prophet Muhammad, the Bharatiya Janata Party suspended T Raja Singh, an MLA from Goshamahal. Raja Singh was first detained on Tuesday following violent protests that broke out last night in Hyderabad at the South Zone DCP office. Protesters demanded immediate action against Singh and chanted “Sar Tan Se Juda,” an Islamist chant that calls for his beheading for “blasphemy” against Prophet Muhammad.

Similar to how party supporters reacted when Nupur Sharma was expelled from the party, the BJP’s decision to suspend Raja Singh has sparked outrage online from even party members. On August 21, Raja Singh published a humorous video, and the protesters claim that he insulted the Prophet Muhammad in it. Singh was the subject of numerous complaints alleging that he had offended the Islamists’ religious sensibilities. According to reports, calls for his beheading were also made at the police station. The BJP MLA was subsequently arrested by the police and booked at the Dabeerpura police station under IPC section 153A (Promoting enmity between two groups) and related sections.

It’s interesting to note that Raja Singh shared the video in opposition to purported comedian Munawar Faruqui and his performance in Hyderabad. Raja has been demonstrating against Faruqui’s performance in Hyderabad, and on August 19 he was even placed in preventive custody to make sure he wouldn’t interfere with the comedian’s appearance there.

Singh revealed in a social media video that the “comedian” had made jokes about Hindu deities and should not be allowed to perform in Hyderabad. “Let them observe what will occur if he is granted permission to perform in Hyderabad. We are going to beat him up wherever the program is held. We will set fire to whoever gives him a location, Singh allegedly said in the video.

The anti-Hindu remarks made by Munawar Faruqui

The public was outraged by Munawar Faruqui for his vile mockery of the Hindu victims of the Godhra train burning incident, a tragedy in which 59 people perished after the Sabarmati Express carrying karsevaks from Ayodhya was set on fire allegedly by a Muslim mob near Godhra station. Faruqui was seen mocking the victims of the Godhra tragedy and downplaying the tragedy in one of his stand-up performances from the year 2020.

In addition, Munawar’s offensive comments about Hindu deities have also contributed to the outrage against him. In one of his stand-up routines, Faruqui made fun of Lord Rama’s 14 years of exile by using the lyrics of a well-known Bollywood song, and he portrayed Sita as an uneasy wife who doubted her husband Lord Rama’s loyalty to her.

The Hyderabad performance of Munawar Faruqui was given special police protection

The Telangana government made special efforts to ensure that Faruqui’s performance in Hyderabad went off without a hitch. A heavy police presence transformed the venue into a fortress, and anyone protesting against the comedian known for his anti-Hindu remarks was detained. At the event, more than 50 BJYM members were detained; some, like Raja Singh, were already in police custody.

So called Secularism: The Telangana government’s treatment of Raja Singh and Munawar Faruqui differs

Raja Singh, an MLA and elected official in Hyderabad, is currently in jail on charges that he hurt the religious feelings of Muslims. He has been placed on administrative leave by his own party and will probably also be expelled. The state would much rather take action against him than against the people openly calling for violence. Mobs in Hyderabad are demanding his beheading.

In the same city, Munawar Faruqui, who is accused of hurting Hindu sentiments, is welcomed with open arms. In order to make sure that nobody ruins his performance, his show receives more security than the most prominent VVIPs; Dozens are arrested. What passes for secularism in this country is the application of a different standard to those who offend Muslims and those who offend Hindus.

Raja Singh will always be a marked man, whereas Munawar Faruqui will continue to enjoy his fame and freedom, participating in reality shows and touring the nation. He will perpetually be on the lookout for an attack, his political career is all but over, and you can’t be a public figure if you can’t go out in public without fear.