Signing you in

According to the Commission, the hearing was held in connection with alleged derogatory remarks made by Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring against Buta Singh in November last year. Warring was booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (promoting enmity on grounds including religion and race), following a complaint by Buta Singh’s son, Sarabjot Singh Sidhu, at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Kapurthala. Punjab Police officials, including DSP Harpreet Singh and DSP Gulzar Singh, EO and Cyber Crime, appeared on behalf of the respondent authorities, while petitioner Sarabjot Singh was also present.

“Taking serious note of the continuing delay, the Commission today recommended that the concerned authorities take immediate necessary steps, in accordance with law, for the arrest of the accused persons involved in the matter and furnish the status of such action to the Commission within five days,” the statement said.

The Commission also viewed the issue of the petitioner’s safety with “particular seriousness” and, in view of the alleged continuing threats to Sarabjot Singh, recommended immediate and adequate police protection to him and his dependents, both in Delhi and Punjab, in accordance with Section 15A of the Act.

The NCSC reiterated that the protection of victims, complainants, witnesses and their dependents is an “important statutory safeguard” and the concerned authorities must ensure that the petitioner is able to pursue the matter without “fear, intimidation or threat”.

According to the hearing minutes, the complaint had also been taken up by the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission and forwarded to the returning officer-cum-SDM, Tarn Taran, during the Assembly bypoll. Warring was issued a notice seeking his explanation.

Warring, in his reply, maintained that his speech had been “deliberately twisted” and that he had “never used any derogatory words against any caste or person”. He described the edited version of his speech as “completely misconceived”.

Reacting to the NCSC recommendation on Monday, Warring termed it “political vendetta” and accused the BJP of attempting to divert attention from the controversy over a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ceremony held at the venue of a Congress rally addressed by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani earlier this month. Warring said he had met the NCSC chairman twice and questioned why the Commission had sought action against him nearly 10 months after the incident.

“Suddenly, the chairman of NCSC remembers to write for Raja’s arrest after 10 months. Basically, the BJP wants to divert the issue,” he said. Warring reiterated that he had not said anything in Tarn Taran that could hurt anyone and reiterated that Buta Singh was a father figure to him. He had earlier tendered an unconditional apology and clarified that he could never have intended to disrespect the veteran leader.