Patna, April 2 (IANS): A Congress leader in Bihar on Thursday filed a court case against union minister Giriraj Singh for his racial remark about Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"I have filed a case in the chief judicial magistrate's court against Giriraj Singh for his racist remark against Sonia Gandhi and for insulting and hurting the sentiments of women," said Sanjay Kumar Singh, a Congress leader from Muzaffarpur district.

He said he was deeply pained by Giriraj Singh's statement against Sonia Gandhi and approached the court to issue a directive to police to register a case against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader.

"The court has directed the local police to register a case against Giriraj Singh," he said.

At an event in Hajipur in Bihar on Tuesday, Giriraj Singh had said: "Had Rajiv Gandhi married a Nigerian and if she (Sonia) was not white-skinned, would the Congress have then accepted her leadership? It is her white skin which has brought her to the helm."

The union minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises has, however, apologised and said it was an "off-the-record" remark.