A Hyderabad sessions court sentenced T Raja Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party’s MLA of Goshamahal for one year over alleged “criminal assault” and “threatening police officers” during a ‘beef festival’ organised in 2015.
The festival was organised by Dalit students of Osmania University to celebrate dalit food culture.
BJP workers had opposed the festival claiming that it “hurt Hindu religious sentiment”. Singh was taken into preventive custody on 12 December 2015. The MLA allegedly attacked a police officer on duty at Bollarum police station. The alleged assault took place when the police tried to prevent Singh from meeting his party functionaries at the station.
Singh can now appeal before the Hyderabad High Court.
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