Adilabad MP Soyam Bapu Rao booked for ‘will behead Muslim harassers’ threat

The Adilabad police have booked BJP MP from Adilabad, Soyam Bapu Rao for his comments where he remarked that he would ‘behead’ Muslim youth who harass women from tribal communities.

On Tuesday, a case was registered against Soyam Bapu Rao under sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 294 (obscene acts) of the Indian Penal Code.

Addressing a gathering the Adivasi MP, who is president of Thudumdebba, had threatened that he will ‘behead’ Muslim youth who harass Adivasi women.

“I warn the Muslim youth, if you harass Adivasi women, Soyam Bapu Rao will behead you,” he had said.

Taking objection to his remarks, a Muslim group, as well as Congress district chief Sajid Khan, had filed a complaint with the Adilabad police.

The MP’s remarks were widely slammed by several parties including the Congress, TRS and MBT who demanded an apology. However, Bapu Rao defended his remarks and told TNM that he made the statement to ‘instil fear’ in the Muslim youths who allegedly ‘lure’ Adivasi women.

Bapu Rao was elected to the Parliament from Adilabad in the recently held Lok Sabha Elections. In the 2018 Assembly Elections, he had contested unsuccessfully contested as from the Boath constituency on a Congress ticket.  

Though the BJP put up a dismal show in the Telangana Assembly elections, with four of their sitting MLAs losing seats, the party made a strong comeback in the Lok Sabha Elections as four BJP MPs – Soyam Bapu Rao, Bandi Sanjay, D Arvind and G Kishan Reddy – won from their respective constituencies.

Following Bapu Rao’s controversial remarks, the ruling TRS party accused BJP of trying to stoke communal tensions in Telangana and disturb the law and order situation.

TRS MLC Karne Prabhakar said that the BJP was giving religious colour to every small incident in the state for their political benefit. He alleged that the newly-elected MPs, including Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, were making provoking statements which would cause communal clashes between religious groups.

“The BJP’s cheap tricks deployed in West Bengal will not work in Telangana. People of Telangana are politically sensitive and are aware of the cheap tricks of BJP leaders. The TRS government will not compromise on issues of people’s concern and will not hesitate to initiate stringent action against those trying to create a law and order situation in the state,” Prabhakar had said.