Punjab Congress chief Warring booked over 'casteist' remarks on Buta Singh

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has been booked for making "derogatory and casteist" remarks against late Buta Singh, a former Union Home Minister.

The Ludhiana MP has been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 196 (promoting enmity based on religion, race) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, according to an FIR registered on Tuesday.

The case was registered following a complaint by Buta Singh's son, Sarabjot Singh Sidhu, at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Kapurthala district.

Sarabjot Singh had approached Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police against Warring over the alleged remarks.

Mr. Warring has been under fire from leaders of the rival political parties for his "casteist" remarks against Buta Singh, which he made while campaigning for the Congress candidate for the November 11 Tarn Taran Assembly Bypoll.

Mr. Warring, the Punjab Congress chief, on Monday tendered an "unconditional apology" and said that Buta Singh, a veteran leader of his party, was like a father figure to him.

In his complaint, Sarabjot Singh termed his comments "deeply offensive and casteist." He alleged that Mr. Warring's statement was not only factually incorrect and racially charged, but it also constituted a direct insult to a leader revered by the Scheduled Caste community, and who belonged to the Mazhabi Sikh community.

"The use of the term 'Black Sikh' was used deliberately by the offender in a derogatory context to hurt the sentiments of the complainant, his family and the community. The word 'rang kala' was intentionally used by the offender to hurt the sentiments of the complainant and his family. Not only this, but it is defamatory and abusive to the 'Mazhabi Sikhs' by pointing 'kala rang'," he wrote in his complaint.

Sarabjot Singh said the use of the word 'Kala Mazhabi Sikh' amounts to hitting the personality of the individual and is against the Constitution of India.

"It clearly amounts to 'body shaming,'" he said.

"The words 'Black Sikh' reinforce the historically entrenched ideas like the superiority of the upper castes over the lower castes/untouchables," he said in his complaint.

The comments have a "potential to incite caste-based tensions and disrupt communal harmony in the state. They dishonour the legacy of a national leader who served the country with distinction," Buta Singh's son said.