Lucknow: A day after the arrest of Ballia resident Raj Singh in connection with the murder of Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's aide Chandranath Rath, a purported old video of Singh went viral on social media on Tuesday. In the video, he is heard making inflammatory remarks over the alleged persecution of Hindus in West Bengal under the then Mamata Banerjee government and warning of "aggressive violence" if any harm came to a victim's family.
Video Details and Content
The 2.41-minute video shows Raj Singh identifying himself as "state general secretary" and claiming that Hindu families were being forced to flee their homes in Kolkata. He accused the then Trinamool Congress government of failing to protect them.
"We respect the Constitution, therefore we are silent. But if we come out on the streets again, there will be no place left to hide," Singh said in the video, invoking warrior king Maharana Pratap and claiming that his community had historically "played with swords, spears and weapons."
Demands and Warnings
Appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for strict action, Singh demanded capital punishment for those responsible for the killing of Deep Das and sought protection for the victim's family. He further warned that if any harm came to the family, "aggressive violence" could erupt in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh.
In the video, Singh urged people to unite for the "fight for justice" and to actively support Hindus both on the ground and through social media campaigns. "If we decide, no one can be stronger than us," he said, ending the address with the slogan "Batoge to katoge" (If divided, you will be destroyed).
Political and Legal Context
The viral clip surfaced amid heightened political tension following Singh's arrest by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of Chandranath Rath. Uttar Pradesh Police had picked Raj Singh from Ayodhya on Monday and he was later taken to Kolkata for questioning in the case.
UP Police did not issue any official statement regarding the authenticity of the viral video or whether additional legal action would be initiated over the remarks made in it.
