The political controversy surrounding an alleged doctored video of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi's Leader of Opposition, Atishi, has escalated, spilling over from the national capital into Punjab. The flashpoint emerged after the Punjab Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) in Jalandhar, leading to a sharp reaction from the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
Delhi Assembly Speaker Takes Strong Stand
In a significant development on Saturday, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta issued formal notices to top Punjab Police officials, demanding an explanation for the FIR. The officials put on notice include the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), the Special DGP (Cyber Crime), and the Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar.
Speaker Gupta has directed them to submit their written explanations, along with relevant documents like the complaint copy, FIR, and forensic lab report, by Monday, January 12. He described the police action as "extremely unfortunate" and a serious breach of privilege of the legislative house.
"The video on the basis of which the FIR was registered is not a recording from any personal medium. It is an official recording from within this house. It is entirely the property of the house," Gupta asserted during a press conference. He emphasized that any complaint regarding the video should have been brought to his notice before any police action.
Protests and Counter-Protests Erupt in Punjab
The political temperature rose in Punjab as the FIR became public. On Saturday, AAP workers staged protests outside the residences of several opposition leaders. Their targets included Congress MLAs Pargat Singh and Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, and Punjab BJP's acting president Ashwani Sharma.
The AAP accused these leaders of posting the allegedly manipulated video clip of Atishi. In a tit-for-tat response, both the SAD and the BJP held separate protests against Atishi and the AAP, demanding legal action against her.
The Core of the Controversy
The genesis of the row lies in a video clip that was downloaded from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra. On Friday, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police claimed that a forensic examination of this clip found it to be "doctored." Following this finding, the police registered the FIR.
However, the Delhi Assembly contends that the video is an official recording of the house proceedings. The matter had already been referred to the Committee of Privileges of the Delhi Assembly for examination. The Speaker's office clarified that the video was sent for forensic analysis on the request of opposition members within the assembly's own process.
Speaker Gupta framed the issue as an attack on the Constitution of India, stating that registering an FIR against a member of the house based on its property was a grave matter. The next course of action from the Delhi Assembly will be determined after reviewing the replies from the Punjab Police officials.
