Sardar Buta Singh
Encyclopedia
Buta Singh was Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). He is an Indian National Congress
leader.
of Bihar
state, India
. He took office on November 5, 2004. He was the home minister of India during the early 1990s. He is a Sikh
and was first elected to the Indian Parliament in 1962.
He has written a book "Punjabi Speaking State - A Critical Analysis" and a collection of articles on Punjabi Literature and Sikh History.
had charged Rao, Buta Singh and others with bribing MPs belonging to the Janata Dal (Ajit) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
(JMM) for voting in favour of the minority Congress government during the no-confidence motion against it in Lok Sabha
in 1993. The decision was later overturned and both Rao and Buta Singh were cleared of the charges in 2002. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections Buta Singh was denied a ticket by the Congress Party to run for Lok Sabha. So he contested as an independent candidate from the Jalore
constituency in Rajasthan although he was not successful.
As the Governor of Bihar, Buta Singh's controversial decision to recommend the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly in 2005 was sharply criticised by the Supreme Court
. The court ruled that Mr. Singh had acted in haste and misled the federal cabinet because he did not want a particular party claiming to form the government, to come to power. Mr. Singh however claimed that the party was resorting to unfair means (read horse trading) to secure support to form the government. On January 26, 2006 Singh sent a fax to President
Abdul Kalam
offering to resign his post. The next day he left office and was replaced by West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi
.
In the latest controversy, his son Sarabjot Singh has been charged of demanding a hefty bribe — Rs 1 crore — exploiting the official position of his father Buta Singh, has put the focus on the Constitutional body NCSC, set up with the objective of serving the cause of the Scheduled Castes.
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
leader.
Political career
He has been eight times elected as a member of Lok Sabha in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha. He is former Union Home Minister under Rajiv Gandhi's Government & more recently governorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
state, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He took office on November 5, 2004. He was the home minister of India during the early 1990s. He is a Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
and was first elected to the Indian Parliament in 1962.
He has written a book "Punjabi Speaking State - A Critical Analysis" and a collection of articles on Punjabi Literature and Sikh History.
Controversies
In 2000, judge Ajit Bharioke of a special court convicted the former Prime Minister P.V. Narasim Rao and Buta Singh in the JMM bribery case. The Central Bureau of InvestigationCentral Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
had charged Rao, Buta Singh and others with bribing MPs belonging to the Janata Dal (Ajit) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is a state political party in the state Jharkhand, India. It has a strength of 2 in the 15th Lok Sabha. Shibu Soren is the president of JMM...
(JMM) for voting in favour of the minority Congress government during the no-confidence motion against it in Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
in 1993. The decision was later overturned and both Rao and Buta Singh were cleared of the charges in 2002. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections Buta Singh was denied a ticket by the Congress Party to run for Lok Sabha. So he contested as an independent candidate from the Jalore
Jalore (Lok Sabha Constituency)
Jalore Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Rajasthan state in India, which is spread over Jalore and Sirohi districts.-Assembly segments:...
constituency in Rajasthan although he was not successful.
As the Governor of Bihar, Buta Singh's controversial decision to recommend the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly in 2005 was sharply criticised by the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
. The court ruled that Mr. Singh had acted in haste and misled the federal cabinet because he did not want a particular party claiming to form the government, to come to power. Mr. Singh however claimed that the party was resorting to unfair means (read horse trading) to secure support to form the government. On January 26, 2006 Singh sent a fax to President
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
Abdul Kalam
Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is a renowned aerospace engineer, professor , and first Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram , who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007...
offering to resign his post. The next day he left office and was replaced by West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Gopalkrishna Gandhi was the Governor of West Bengal serving from 2004 to 2009. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and son of Devadas Gandhi and Lakshmi Gandhi. His maternal grandfather was C. Rajagopalachari...
.
In the latest controversy, his son Sarabjot Singh has been charged of demanding a hefty bribe — Rs 1 crore — exploiting the official position of his father Buta Singh, has put the focus on the Constitutional body NCSC, set up with the objective of serving the cause of the Scheduled Castes.