Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Buta Singh is seen here in a file picture. | Photo credit: File
With the Tarn Taran assembly elections in Punjab just days away, the Indian National Congress (INC) seems to be embroiled in controversy after state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring allegedly made a remark about the skin color of the late Buta Singh, former Union home minister from the Scheduled Caste community.
Mr Warring offered an “unconditional apology” but the electoral damage may have already been done as opposition parties accused the Congress of showing “disrespect” to Dalits ahead of the November 11 polls.
An eight-time member of the Lok Sabha, the late Mr. Singh served as Union Home Minister and Governor of Bihar.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the Congress following Mr Warring’s remarks during a recent election rally.
On Tuesday, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes took suo motu cognizance of the episode and asked Deputy Commissioner Tarn Taran for a report on the action. The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission also took suo motu cognizance of the “casteist’s” comment and summoned Mr. Warring to appear in person on November 6. Commission chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi said, “This matter has been brought to the fore through social media where the late president of the Punjab ministerial unit of the Congress party and Lok Sabha member from Ludhiana has been speaking out against colored and caste caste in the S country.
Sarabjot Singh Sidhu, son of the late But Singh, filed a complaint with the Superintendent of Police, Kapurthala, seeking registration of an FIR against Mr. Warring under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atricities) Act, 1989, including sections 3)(1)(3)(a)(3)(1)(3) of the relevant section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Senior AAP leader and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema told the Congress that Mr Warring’s remark was “not a mistake but a crime born of caste arrogance that has hurt the hearts of countless people and requires legal punishment”. Mr Cheema urged the Congress to expel Mr Warring, adding that failure to do so would “only reaffirm the party’s anti-Dalit politics”.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has also filed a complaint with the Tarn Taran police demanding registration of a case under the SC/ST Act. “Mr. Warring made the remark deliberately to malign the SC community and hurt their sentiments,” SAD SC wing president Gulzar Singh Ranike said.
In a statement, Mr Warring said: “While I reaffirm and reiterate that I meant no disrespect to the late Sardar Buta Singh Ji, if anyone felt hurt, I offer an unconditional apology.” He added that the late Buta Singh, a veteran Congress leader, was like a father figure to him and that he could never have intended any disrespect. Mr Warring claimed that his reference to Mr Singh “was in the positive context of the Congress being an inclusive party that provides opportunities to everyone based on merit and performance and does not discriminate in the name of caste, creed or religion”.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh demanded that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge apologize, claiming that “Congress has always exploited the downtrodden and weaker sections for political gain without ever working for their upliftment. Warring’s remarks are not just an insult to one individual but a disgrace to the entire nation.”
The Tarn Taran assembly seat, which fell vacant after the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June, is witnessing a triangular contest between AAP, Congress and SAD. AAP has fielded Harmeet Singh Sandhu, a former Akali Dal leader, while the Congress has nominated Karanbir Singh. The SAD’s Sukhwinder Kaur and the BJP’s Harjit Singh Sandhu are also in the fray.
Published – 04 Nov 2025 19:55 IST
