After protests from some Hindu outfits in Mengaluru and a death threat from a former RSS leader in Madhya Pradesh, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is now facing another threat—this time from a BJP MLA in Hyderabad.
T. Raja Singh has urged the CPI(M) to stop a meeting it organises in the city on March 19, which Vijayan is expected to attend. This meeting is to mark the culmination of the Left party's five-month long “Mahajana Padayatra” which took off on October 18 from Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district demanding social justice and comprehensive development.
Raja Singh has left a video on the Facebook where he was seen saying, "Hindu community is not safe in Kerala." He alleges that several RSS and BJP workers have been killed after the CPI(M) came to power in Kerala.
"The Kerala CM, who is a murderer of Hindus, is invited to the event on March 19 in Nizam College. I strongly oppose this and will not allow the event to happen. I will go to any extent to stop the meeting,” he said. He has also warned the Telangana police and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao against giving permission to the event.
“If the Kerala CM is not stopped from coming to the meeting, I will also come with my supporters, and conduct a meeting. After that, Telangana police and government will be responsible for any law and order problem,” he added.
The CPI(M) Telangana unit was obviously not immune to these threats and Facebook videos. Party leader B.V. Raghavulu said: "Our meeting has got government and police permission. If Raja Singh has guts, let him obstruct the meeting. We know how to deal with the BJP and its leaders like Raja Singh."
Raja Singh's threat came just a couple of days after former RSS leader from Ujjain, Kundan Chandravat, put a bounty of Rs 1 crore on Vijayan's head, blaming the Kerala CM for the alleged murder of 300 Sangh workers in the state. Chandravat was expelled from the RSS after his statement.
And for Raja Singh, this is not the first time the BJP MLA has made controversial comments. Last year, when three dalit boys were assaulted allegedly for skinning a cow in Una in Gujarat, Raja Singh posted a video on Facebook and announced that the dalits were 'galeez' and the beating was a very "good thing to happen." His rants against Muslims are also quite well known. He had accused the All India Majlis Ittehad ul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, of converting Charminar into a 'mini-Pakistan'.
The 38-year-old politician, who was with the Telugu Desam Party has always been a rabble-rouser. After the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Raja Singh had asked the theatre owners in Hyderabad not to screen the film, because it had a Pakistan actor as a side hero.
Though the BJP has always distanced itself from his remarks, the party has not yet taken any action against him.
