Protests continue in India as BJP lawmaker gets bail after Prophet remarks

Overnight protests continued in Hyderabad in India's Telangana state against a lawmaker belonging to the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) who was arrested for making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad and was released on bail.

Thakur Raja Singh, the BJP member of the state Legislative Assembly, released a video on Monday showing him making derogatory comments about the prophet.

He was apprehended on Tuesday morning after multiple cases were registered against him as protests broke out at several places in the city on Monday night demanding his arrest.

Late on Tuesday night, Singh walked out of jail after a local court granted him bail. Protests again broke out after the BJP leader was released, continuing for the whole night at several places in the city, and remained peaceful.

"The only demand of everyone is that strict action should be taken against him. He repeatedly makes derogatory remarks against Islam,” said Abdul Kader Saani, the caretaker of a shrine in Hyderabad, on Wednesday.

BJP on Tuesday ordered the suspension of the lawmaker from the party, pending an inquiry.

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'Highly provocative and sacrilegious'

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, India's largest socio-religious Muslim organisation, called the lawmaker’s derogatory remarks very shameful and shocking.

"The arrest of Raja Singh and the disciplinary action by the party were the need of the hour. However, it is not sufficient until such offenders are given exemplary punishment," the Jamiat quoted its National President Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani as saying.

Pakistan also condemned the "highly provocative and sacrilegious" remarks made by the BJP official.

“This is the second time in the last three months that a senior BJP leader has made disrespectful comments against our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement on Wednesday.

Pakistan said the lawmaker's derogatory remarks have gravely hurt the people of Pakistan and billions of Muslims around the world, adding that the token and perfunctory disciplinary action taken by the BJP against Singh cannot assuage the pain and anguish caused to Muslims.

It is highly reprehensible that Singh was released on bail within hours of arrest and was welcomed by BJP fanatics, the ministry lamented.

Islamabad demanded New Delhi "take immediate and decisive action against the BJP members habitually involved in attacking Islam and targeting the dignity of the beloved Prophet (PBUH)."

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