A controversy emerged when Delhi Leader of Opposition Atishi allegedly made "insensitive" remarks on Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur inside the Assembly. It has now evolved into a full-blown Delhi vs Punjab political row. The Delhi Assembly has formally flagged a violation of privilege against the Police Commissioner of Jalandhar.
The escalation started when the Jalandhar Police registered an FIR over a video clip of Atishi that went viral on social media. The FIR raises sharp objections from the Delhi Assembly, where Speaker Vijender Gupta asserted that the video in question was documented inside the House and therefore 'constitutes the property of the legislature'.
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'FIR based on house property'
According to NDTV, Speaker Vijender Gupta raised the issue in the House, mentioning that the video referred to in the FIR was recorded during Assembly proceedings and legally belongs to the legislature.
"The matter raised by (MLA) Abhay Verma pertains to a breach of privilege of this House. The FIR that has been registered is based on a video, which is a recording of the proceedings within the House and is the property of the House. Taking action on this video and registering an FIR against a minister is a serious issue," Gupta mentioned.
He called it a direct infringement on the authority of the House, mentioning, "In this context, a clear case of breach of privilege is made out against the Police Commissioner of Jalandhar."
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Recordings belong only to the house
The Speaker emphasised that Assembly recordings are very different entities from regular social media content. "Recordings made inside the House belong exclusively to the House and to no one else. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to know on what basis this case has been registered," Gupta said.
He said the Assembly would formally investigate the issue and determine further activity. "The House will take cognisance of the matter and consider appropriate action against the Police Commissioner of Jalandhar, as there has been unwarranted interference with the property of the House," he added.
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The Jalandhar Police Commissionerate had registered the FIR after a complaint, which claimed that a viral video falsely attributed irreverent remarks against Sikh Gurus to Atishi. The police mentioned that the clip was retrieved from a social media post by BJP leader and Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Punjab.
