Delhi Assembly Privileges Committee Issues Personal Summons to Punjab Officials
The Delhi assembly privileges committee has escalated its investigation into the Atishi video controversy by issuing personal summons to three senior Punjab officials. On Saturday, the committee directed Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Alok Shekhar, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, and Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur to appear in person before the committee on February 27.
Punjab's Legal Position and Delhi's Response
The summons come after the Punjab home department submitted a detailed reply on Friday, citing an opinion from the Punjab Advocate General. The state government argued that the proceedings should be "reconsidered and the matter be closed" based on legal grounds and the fact that the case is currently sub judice.
While the Punjab government maintained that it could not furnish the requested documents—including the complaint, technical reports, and forensic reports—due to the sub judice nature of the matter, it did provide a copy of the FIR under strict confidentiality conditions.
Deadline Missed and Escalation
The Delhi assembly secretariat noted that the three officers were required to submit their individual comments on the privilege matter by February 20, but failed to meet this deadline. In communications sent by Delhi assembly secretary Ranjit Singh, the committee emphasized that matters of privilege are personal to the individuals concerned and must be addressed in their personal capacity.
The notice specifically asks ACS-home Alok Shekhar to bring copies of the complaint and all enclosures that formed the basis of the FIR registration, along with the FIR itself, social media expert's report, technical cell report, and Forensic Science Laboratory report.
Background of the Controversy
This development follows earlier exchanges between the Delhi assembly and Punjab officials. The officers were initially put on notice on February 5 and given one week to submit their replies. When no response was received, the Delhi assembly secretary sent letters on February 13 giving them a final opportunity to respond by February 20.
In their previous communications to the Delhi assembly speaker, the Punjab officers defended the FIR registration, asserting that police acted in accordance with the law. On Friday, DGP Gaurav Yadav had forwarded both Jalandhar CP Dhanpreet Kaur's reply and his own response to ACS-home Alok Shekhar for approval by competent authorities before submission to the Delhi assembly.
The Delhi assembly privileges committee has now taken the significant step of requiring personal appearances, indicating the seriousness with which it views the alleged breach of privilege and contempt matters related to the Atishi video controversy.
