FIR against Ludhiana SAD-BSP candidate for casteist remark

Pritpal Singh Pali has also been booked for hurting religious sentiments; he led a protest in Ludhiana where these casteist remarks were allegedly made

Ludhiana Pritpal Singh Pali, the candidate of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance from Ludhiana Central constituency, has been booked under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the Moti Nagar police station on Thursday.

Ludhiana Central SAD BSP candidate, Pritpal Singh Pali, made tthese allegedly casteist remarks on October 25; he is also president of the managing committee of Gurudwara Dukhniwaran Sahib in Ludhiana. (HT Photo)

Pali, also the president of the management committee of the Gurudwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, Ludhiana, is accused of hurting religious sentiments and using banned words during speech as part of a protest at Samrala Chowk against a Hindu organisation leader, Anil Arora, on October 25 (Monday). Arora also faces a case of hurting religious sentiments.

On Thursday afternoon, members of the Valmiki Samaj staged a protest against Pali at the Bharat Nagar Chowk and blocked traffic. Finally, police assured them of action and an FIR was lodged against Pali on the statement of Vicky Sahota, former vice-chairman, Safai Karamchari Welfare Commission.

Moti Nagar SHO inspector Vijay Kumar said a case under the SC/ST act has been lodged against Pritpal Singh Pali.

In his defence, Pali posted a video on his Facebook page, where he claims that he has not used derogatory words against any community. “Someone has morphed my video of the protest to defame me. I believe in all religions, but I still apologise from the Valmiki Samaj if any of my words have hurt anyone,” he says in the video. HT tried to contact him after the FIR, but his phone remained switched off till the filing of this report.