In a dramatic turn of events, legislators from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a vociferous protest outside the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Friday. The demonstration was directed against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, with AAP leaders alleging a deliberate attempt to sideline critical public issues through a "fraudulent" video involving Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Atishi.
Allegations of Diversion Tactics
Addressing the media, AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha launched a sharp attack on the ruling dispensation. He accused the BJP government of trying to divert public attention from pressing problems plaguing the national capital. Jha specifically listed issues like deteriorating law and order, the supply of contaminated water, severe pollution levels, and the state of the Yamuna river.
"To avoid these problems, BJP has made a fraudulent video and dragged the name of Guru Sahab into it so that discussions cannot be done on the real issues," Jha told ANI. The MLA demanded stringent action against Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra and others who shared the controversial clip, which allegedly carried an incorrect transcription. He called for their suspension for a period of six months.
Assembly Descends into Chaos
The protest outside the Assembly followed a day of chaos inside the House on Thursday. BJP MLAs had themselves staged a protest against AAP over alleged remarks made by LoP Atishi concerning a Sikh Guru. This tit-for-tat agitational politics has marked the ongoing winter session of the Delhi Assembly, which began on January 5 and is scheduled to conclude on January 8.
During Friday's protest, AAP MLAs entered the Assembly premises carrying posters and raising slogans. Their central demand was the resignation of Minister Kapil Mishra for his role in circulating the video in question.
Demand for Official Footage and Suspension
Adding a formal dimension to the controversy, AAP MLA and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mukesh Ahlawat, wrote to Assembly Speaker Vijendra Gupta. In his letter, Ahlawat raised serious concerns about the provenance of the video shared by Mishra, noting it was not part of the official Assembly record.
"The video tweeted by Kapil Mishra is not part of the official record of the Assembly, which raises serious concerns about how he obtained the video footage," Ahlawat stated. He further pointed out that even in the circulated footage, Atishi could be heard saying, "Then please conduct the discussion. Why have you been running away since morning? You are saying, 'respect dogs, respect dogs.' Hon'ble Speaker, please allow a discussion on this matter."
Based on this, the Aam Aadmi Party legislative party has put forth two key demands:
- The provision of the complete footage from the Assembly's official cameras to clarify LoP Atishi's statement.
- The cancellation of the Assembly membership of Kapil Mishra and a six-month suspension for all other MLAs who shared the manipulated video with a false transcription.
The incident has intensified the already heated political atmosphere in Delhi, setting the stage for further confrontation in the remaining days of the assembly session.
