Delhi Assembly Speaker Orders Forensic Probe in Atishi Video Controversy
New Delhi witnessed another day of political confrontation on Tuesday as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party continued their bitter clash over a controversial video clip involving opposition leader Atishi. The dispute centers on allegations of disrespect toward Sikh Gurus, with both sides leveling serious accusations against each other.
Speaker Gupta Takes Decisive Action
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta stepped into the fray by ordering a comprehensive forensic investigation into the disputed video. He also referred the entire matter to the privileges committee for detailed examination. This move came after both political parties formally demanded such a probe to establish the truth behind the circulating clip.
"The issue carries both legal sensitivity and emotional significance for our people," Speaker Gupta emphasized during a press conference held on the assembly premises. He expressed strong concerns about what he described as political interference in the legislative process.
Conflicting Claims and Counterclaims
BJP leader Kapil Mishra launched a sharp attack against the AAP leadership during his media interaction. He claimed that Atishi had been avoiding public appearances since using what he termed "objectionable language" against Sikh Gurus during assembly proceedings. Mishra went further to allege misuse of Punjab Police resources under directions from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to suppress the matter.
"Since that day, Atishi Marlena has not attended the Delhi Assembly even once," Mishra stated while displaying a poster questioning her whereabouts. "She has not faced the media either. False cases and conspiracies are being hatched from behind the scenes."
AAP's Strong Rebuttal
The Aam Aadmi Party responded with equal force, accusing Mishra of committing actual disrespect toward Sikh Gurus through his actions. AAP representatives claimed that Mishra shared a doctored video clip and added misleading subtitles to create controversy for political gains.
"The forensic examination by Punjab Police has clearly established that the alleged word was never spoken in the original video," asserted AAP's Anurag Dhanda. "Mishra inserted subtitles and wrote the Guru Sahib's name alongside those words, which constitutes genuine disrespect."
Jurisdictional Concerns Raised
Speaker Gupta raised important questions about the investigation process followed by Punjab Police. He revealed that the assembly secretariat received a request for ten days to complete their analysis, but granted only three days given the seriousness of the allegations. The deadline for submitting the full report was set for January 15.
"The assembly was neither contacted nor asked to provide any documents," Gupta noted, expressing concerns about jurisdictional boundaries and the independence of the ongoing investigation. He characterized the Punjab Police intervention as a politically motivated move designed to create confusion rather than seek truth.
Official Assembly Response
The Delhi Assembly has taken the unusual step of publishing a compilation of video recordings from its proceedings between January 6 and 9 on its official social media accounts. This fourteen-minute, fifty-seven-second video presents what the assembly describes as the "factual position" regarding Atishi's alleged remarks.
The accompanying social media post mentions "undignified remarks made by the leader of the opposition toward Gurus" while simultaneously clarifying the official stance on the controversy. This public release represents an attempt to provide transparency amid the heated political exchanges.
Police Action and Political Implications
Punjab Police has registered a First Information Report based on their forensic analysis of the video clip downloaded from Kapil Mishra's social media account. Their preliminary examination reportedly found evidence of tampering with the original footage.
The assembly secretariat has issued formal notices to Punjab's Director General of Police, the Special DGP of the cyber cell, and the Jalandhar Commissioner of Police regarding potential breaches of legislative privileges. This action underscores the seriousness with which the assembly views what it considers external interference in its internal matters.
"Any conspiracy to undermine the dignity of this house will not be tolerated," Speaker Gupta declared firmly, setting the tone for how the assembly intends to handle this politically charged controversy that continues to dominate Delhi's political landscape.
