Is the TRS using Raja Singh to polarise Muslim votes in Telangana? This is the question that political observers are asking these days. They argue that Raja Singh’s statements are being used to whip up communal sentiment and polarise the Muslim votes in Telangana. The Muslims constitute 11 per cent of the population in Telangana and play an important role in Zaheerabad, Nizamabad, Bodhan, Nirmal, Bhainsa and Nalgonda, besides the Old City and its surroundings.
Those in the know say that 101 cases are registered against Raja Singh. But according to lawyers arguing for Raja Singh, the police are counting even cases where the verdict was already declared in his favour. The police say he has 101 cases since 2004. Of them close to 55 have been disposed of and Raja Singh was found not guilty before 2019. As a matter of fact, he has shown only 42 cases in his 2019 election affidavit.
His lawyers say that of these 42, Raja Singh was acquitted in nearly 35 cases after 2019. Thus, there are now more than 6 or seven cases against him, they argue. They claim that the police are peddling factually inexact statistics to suggest that Raja Singh was a diehard fundamentalist. The lawyers say that Raja Singh would be acquitted in the other cases too.
Raja Singh’s supporters argue that he is being used to polarise the Muslims. This polarisation would help the TRS and the MIM, they argue. The Muslims, who can decide the winner and loser in nearly 20 constituencies of Telagnana, will vote for both the TRS and the MIM to defeat Raja Singh. It is because of this that Raja Singh is being portrayed as a villain, they argue.
