India: Lawmaker held for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA): A Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad, which sparked large protests in Hyderabad city in India’s Telangana state on Monday night.

According to Hyderabad police, Thakur Raja Singh, the BJP member of the state Legislative Assembly, was arrested on Tuesday morning after multiple cases were registered against him in different locations in the city.

“We have apprehended him. Further details will be shared soon,” Joel Davis, a senior police officer in Hyderabad told Anadolu Agency.

A case was registered under sections of the law relating to insulting religious beliefs, P Sai Chaitanya, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Zone, Hyderabad, said.

On Monday, Singh released a video showing him allegedly making derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad.

Subsequently, protests broke out in different parts of Hyderabad on Monday night, with protesters demanding action against him.

Recently, Nupur Sharma, a BJP spokeswoman, made insulting remarks about the Prophet during a TV debate, eliciting widespread condemnation both at home and in the Muslim world. Her remarks were condemned by the Indian government and the party, which suspended her only after pressure from the Muslim countries.

Another BJP spokesman, Naveen Kumal Jindal, was expelled from the party for making comments on social media in support of Sharma and against Islam. Following their remarks, massive rallies were held across the country.

More than a dozen Muslim countries as well as international organizations had condemned the controversial remarks.

[Map of India by CIA Factbook/Public Domain]

The post India: Lawmaker held for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad appeared first on The Muslim News.