Overnight protests in Hyderabad after BJP MLA Raja Singh granted bail

Protesters’ attempts to march towards Raja Singh’s neighbourhood early Wednesday morning were foiled by the police. They also burnt his effigies in many places.

Now-suspended BJP leader T. Raja Singh with supporters following his release (PTI)

“We have police pickets at all locations apart from deployment of men. We are available to the public. The protests went on till around 5.30 Wednesday morning. The situation is fully under control,” P Sai Chaithanya, DCP (South Zone), told indianexpress.com, adding there are no restrictions or curfew-like situation.

Though minor incidents of stone pelting and damages to vehicles were reported, the DCP denied them. Most parts of the old city remained peaceful throughout the day with shops and establishments downing their shutters in protest.

After the court ordered his release on bail, the Old City erupted in protests. On Tuesday evening, as large mobs of people supporting and opposing the MLA came close to each other outside the court, police baton-charged and dispersed the crowd.

Even as Raja Singh received a hearty welcome from his supporters at Mangalhat Tuesday evening, people in the adjoining localities shouted slogans demanding capital punishment for him.

Following his release, massive crowds gathered near Charminar and fresh protests erupted in parts of the old city. Though all roads leading to the old city were closed to outsiders, crowds gathered in large numbers around Charminar by midnight. Similar protests were seen at Shalibanda, Moghalpura, Khilwat, and other areas of the city. A large number of policemen were deployed on the streets to contain the situation.

The controversial two-time MLA’s 10.27-minute-long “comedy” video, titled “Faruqui ke aaka ka ithihas suniye“, was posted on the YouTube channel of Shree Ram Channel Telangana, where he repeated comments of the now suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma that snowballed into an international row.

After the release of the video Monday night, hundreds had hit the streets demanding Raja Singh’s arrest. They had blocked the road in front of the police commissioner’s office at Basheerbagh and filed complaints at several police stations demanding strict action against what they called blasphemous statements of the MLA.

While being taken away by the police Tuesday morning, Singh denied the charges against him and threatened to release a second part of the video too, soon after the first one was taken down by authorities. He said his video was in response to stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui’s show held in Hyderabad on August 20 with police protection as Hindu groups led by the MLA opposed it and issued threats.

Though the MLA was charged under sections 295(a), 153(a), 505 (1) (b) and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code, the Nampally criminal court granted him bail stating that due procedure was not followed before the arrest.

Section 295A pertains to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, section 153A to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, section 505 (1) (b) to statement with intent to cause fear or alarm to the public; and 505 (2) relates to statements conducing to public mischief.

The Hyderabad police said they are on a high alert to avert any clash between the two communities in the densely populated localities in the city.