BJP distances itself from Hyderabad MLA Raja Singh who lauded Una Dalit assault

The BJP on Monday distanced itself from its Hyderabad MLA from Goshamahal, T Raja Singh, who released a video on Facebook on July 30 calling the assault on Dalits allegedly skinning a cow in Una in Gujarat a good deed.

According to a report in The Hindu, N Ramchander Rao, MLC and national executive member of BJP, issued a statement that the party “explicitly makes it clear that it does not endorse such views”.

The party also said that that no one has the right to take law into their hands.

Raja Singh is a repeat offender having been charged multiple times in the past of hate speech. On a number of occasions, the MLA has been accused of making inflammatory statements and speeches, particularly against Muslims. Read of previous instances here, here and here.  

In the latest video, Raja Singh said that any Dalit who was found with dead cows or carrying cow meat deserves to be beaten. He also claimed that because of such ‘dirty Dalits’ the good name of patriotic, religious and cow-worshiping Dalits was being ruined.

He also issued a warning not only to Dalits but to every section of the society that if they indulged in cow slaughter they would be taught the same lesson that the Dalits in Una were taught.

Meanwhile, The Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded his immediate dismissal from membership in Telangana Legislative Assembly.

The party’s State secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram said that the speech encouraged attacks on Dalits and minorities, besides violating their constitutional rights.