On November 14, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) wrote to the Election Commission of India against BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) electoral candidate and MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Tiger Raja Singh. Notably, this is the second complaint that has been sent by CJP to the ECI against Singh in the same election. In the previous complaint, sent on October 25, Singh had raked the bogey of ‘Love-Jihad’ to justify excluding Muslims from the Garba celebrations.
In the present complaint, a hate speech delivered by Singh in his own constituency, in Goshamahal, Telangana on November 13, during an election rally was highlighted. The said speech was aimed at instigating disaffection, spreading misinformation, peddling conspiracies and promoting violence against religious minorities. The following statements show Singh indulging in the corrupt practices of promoting enmity between different communities/faiths, raising calls for violence and spreading misinformation to gain votes:
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“You all need to ensure that more Hindus cast their votes by telling everyone that our enemy indulges in slaughtering cows, committing ‘Love-Jihad and forced religious conversions.”
“This is a fight of our Dharam, we have to ensure that adharmis (those of a different faith) lose this battle.”
Singh also targeted the opposition leader Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, for his religious identity and made problematic statements. He said, “We do not support those who support terrorists, we make sure that such people get to see 72 hoorains.”
Singh had also issued threats to those voting against him. As highlighted in the complaint, Singh had said in his speech that “This election is my ride or die, I will be willing to die for it as well as kill for it. My brothers should think twice before committing an act of mistrust with me as becoming my enemy will not serve well for you.”
He further attempted to create fear in the minds of the voters by alleging that they keep tabs on the movement of the opposition leaders. “We have kept tabs on all their movements, we know who is having lunch at hotels, who is crossing which street. I will hang all of them upside down after elections,” Singh could be heard saying.
Through the complaint, CJP highlighted that Singh’s speech stands in violation of all equality and non-discrimination provisions (secular and democratic values) enshrined in the Constitution of India and also amounts to the offences defined as “corrupt practices” under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Since the Model Code of Conduct had also come into force in the state on October 9, the complaint provided the violations committed by Singh under the guidelines laid down in the MCC.
As per the complaint, Singh is guilty of indulging in corrupt practices, namely putting undue influence on voters and promoting feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of the citizens of India on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, or language. The organisation has urged the ECI to take strict action against Singh as “targeting a religious minority, instigating communal violence, promoting discrimination and declaring unconstitutional diktats hampers the efforts made by the Hon’ble commission to ensure that religion does not enter the arena of politics. Issuing threats against voters on facing repercussions for exercising their right to choose their representatives also goes against the rights guaranteed to the citizens of India.”
The complete complaint can be accessed here:
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