Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Former BJP MLA booked for ‘terrorist organisati­on’ remark

- Press Trust of India letters@hindustant­imes.com

BHOPAL: Former BJP MLA from Bhopal Central, Surendra Nath Singh, has been booked for allegedly promoting enmity between two groups in view of his “communal rant” over his daughter’s associatio­n with a man from a different faith, police said on Wednesday.

Singh allegedly made the controvers­ial remarks after his daughter Bharti Singh (28), who had been “missing” for some days, was brought to Bhopal from Maharashtr­a along with her friend Faheem Khan (32), a resident of Bhopal.

“It is not so that only they (Muslims) can form a terrorist organisati­on. Why can’t we also form the same?” Singh had said while speaking to reporters on Tuesday night while his daughter was being counselled at a government centre.

Singh was booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between two groups on ground of religion) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by Habibganj Police.

“We are in possession of a video in which the former MLA Singh can be heard making a controvers­ial statement. We are examining it thoroughly,” said

Habibganj police station inspector P Saxena. He said no arrest is made so far.

After Bharti went ‘missing’ on October 15, Singh lodged a complaint stating that she was mentally unwell.

“All terrorist organisati­ons in the world are Islamic. If they attack us, we won’t spare them,” Singh told news agency PTI on Wednesday.

He also said Hindus should unite against the “love Jihad”.

“Love Jihad is going on in the world. If they (Muslims) are converting Hindu girls to their faith through love Jihad then we have to unite. We have to fight for the society,” he added.

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