On Sunday, former Indian team all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was arrested and then bailed over casteist slur he had directed towards Yuzvendra Chahal. The arrest comes several months after the Haryana police registered an FIR against Yuvraj on the matter. The FIR was lodged against Singh back in February 2021 for his ‘disrespectful’ comments against the Dalit community while he was speaking about Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.
Background
Former Indian cricket team all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has been no stranger to making headlines. From hitting 6 sixes in one over, to playing a crucial part in the 2011 World Cup tournament, Singh has grabbed headlines in his illustrious career.
However, the all-rounder brewed a controversy when he made some remarks on the Dalit community while referring to current Indian cricket team players Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. What followed his comments was a massive outrage on Twitter and soon, Yuvraj had to issue a statement, apologizing on the matter.
Also Read: Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Visuals Show 7 Vehicles Damaged in One Accident; 6 Injured, 3 Dead
The Facts of the Matter
After months of inactivity around the matter, the Haryana Police arrested former Indian team all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. The cricketer was released on interim bail the same day. An NDTV report claimed that the arrest was a formal one and came at a time when Singh had come to Hisar’s Hansi town.
Further, the cricketer was soon released in compliance with the order from Punjab and Haryana High Court. Interestingly enough, Yuvraj’s own representative claimed that the actor was not arrested. It was also reported that the cricketer had taken to the police with his team of staff and was arrested to be later released on bail.
Meanwhile, lawyer-activist Rajat Kalsan was quoted in an NDTV report saying, “On October 6, the police was asked to include Yuvraj Singh in the probe. We have learnt that yesterday, Yuvraj Singh surrendered before the police in Hisar, he was questioned for two to three hours and then arrested. He was then released on bail bonds.”
Also Read: Kerala Rains: Video of House Swallowed by Flood Show Wrath of Nature, 26 People Dead so Far
Yuvraj’s Singh Comment on Dalit Community
The whole controversy began after Yuvraj and current Indian cricket team opener Rohit Sharma were on an Instagram Live session. In the session, Yuvraj had said, “Ye Bh***i log ko kaam nahi ye Yuzi aur isko (Kuldeep Yadav)”.
Yuvraj Singh was referring to Chahal’s and Yadav’s TikTok videos that were trending when the video sharing platform was famous in India.
Meanwhile, to Yuvraj’s question, Rohit Sharma replied, “Yuzi ko dekha kya video daala hai apni family ke saath. Maine usko wahi bola ki apne baap ko nacha raha hai, pagal toh nahi hai tu (Did you see Yuzi’s video he shared with his family. I told him you’re making your father dance, have you gone crazy?)
After the comments were made, Twitter was flooded with the hashtag #YuvrajSinghMaafiMaango with tweets asking Yuvraj to apologize.
Yuvraj Singh Apologizes for His Objectionable Remarks
In January 2020, Yuvraj Singh issued a statement of apology on Twitter. “I understand that while I was having a conversation with my friends, I was misunderstood, which was unwarranted. However, as a responsible Indian I want to say that if I have unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments or feelings, I would like to express regret for the same,” the apology read.
“My love for India and its people is eternal,” it further said.
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 5, 2020
FIR Lodged a Year after Controversial Comment
In February 2021, a Hansi resident Rajat Kalsan had alleged that Yuvraj’s remarks were “objectionable” and he further sought a “formal arrest” of the cricketer. The cricketer was thus booked under multiple sections of the IPC and under the SC and ST Prevention Act.
Yuvi was booked under Section 153A A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), Section 153B and Section 3(1)(u) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act.
