Hate Offender: Raghvendra Pratap Singh

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Raghvendra Pratap Singh (55) is a member of 17th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh of India who represents Domariyaganj constituency in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Though he is an elected representative answerable to the people, his tone is more like a ‘dabang’ or local strongman as heard in videos circulating on the social media platforms.

In these videos, he can be seen delivering distinctly divisive, hateful and communal remarks during the election campaigns, often delivered in a threatening tone. Most of his speeches veer towards creating a fear of spreading of communal disharmony, and also fuelling targeted hatred against Muslims and Islam. “Topi band hoiba, miyan log tilak lagai ke chalein… aur aap logan se hi kahi hei chacha SitaRam,” Singh had told his voters that if they elect him again, Muslims will [be forced to] stop wearing their skullcaps and start putting Hindu tilaks on their foreheads and say SitaRam as a greeting. 

Social media has flagged his hate speeches often. However, Singh has carried on undeterred, and seems confident that he is above the law for some reason. He has said things like, “They [MusIims] have circumcision, if they look at our ωomen, I will emascμlate & send them to Pakistan… Listen up Maμlanas if any Hindμ is insulted…then I will hit you so hard and get you cμt up so much that even your name will be wiped off.”

Raghvendra Pratap Singh, has now been booked for his hate speech, where he purportedly said, “Tell me, will any Muslim vote for me? So be aware that if Hindus of this village support another side, they have Muslim blood in their veins. They are traitors…” This is the second FIR registered against Singh in the last 10 days, reported Indian Express. According to the news report, police registered the case against the BJP MLA on the basis of a video doing rounds on social media. Singh, has been booked under IPC sections related to promoting enmity between different groups.

Raghvendra Singh, had earlier ‘warned’ that Muslims will have to “wear tilak” if he wins from Domariyaganj, this time was ‘threatening’ to test the DNAs of Hindus who vote for anyone other than him. “Hindus who will not vote for me have Muslim blood in their veins”, Singh had purportedly said in a recent video circulating on social media. He is also in charge of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, and is hoping that such polarising words help him to get re-elected when his constituency votes on March 3. “If I become MLA again, like gol-topis (skull caps) have vanished, next time the miyan log (term used derogatorily for Muslims) will wear the tilak,” Singh had then said.

He has not altered the script much since then and said, “If the Hindu is going elsewhere, then the blood of the ‘miyan’ (derogatory reference to Muslims) is flowing in his veins. He is a traitor and an illegitimate child of Jaichand.” King Jaichand is a favourite reference for the right wing when they want to label someone a “traitor”. According to Singh, if “a Hindu goes to the other side, he should not be able to show his face. How many of you are Jaichands?” He asked the audience gathered to hear him in their village, adding “give me their names and I will get their blood tested to see if they are Hindus or Miyans. I will get their DNA test done.”

Interestingly on February 23, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ban Raghvendra Singh from contesting polls because he “used objectionable language against the Hindu community” in his public speeches. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh wrote, “This is is an insult to the crores of people belonging to the Hindu community. BJP MLA Raghvendra Singh should be banned from contesting the elections. He has insulted the Hindu voter base in the country.” 

Raghvendra Singh had claimed that he made that remark “in another context, as an example” and that he “had no intention to threaten anybody”.  The remaining three phases of polling in Uttar Pradesh will take place on February 27, March 3, and 7. The results will be announced on March 10.

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