The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday (January 10, 2026) staged protests across Punjab, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of hurting religious sentiments by circulating a “doctored” video of senior party leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi.
The “edited” video, which amounted to “beadbi” (sacrilege) of the Guru Sahib, had been circulated on social media for political gain, the AAP alleged.
A First Information Report (FIR) had been registered in the matter, and a forensic examination had “confirmed deliberate manipulation” of the clip, the party said.
On Friday (January 9, 2026), the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate filed an FIR in connection with uploading and circulating the “edited” and “doctored” video of Ms. Atishi in the Delhi Assembly.
Using the clip, Delhi BJP leaders, including Law Minister Kapil Mishra, alleged on Tuesday that Ms. Atishi had insulted Guru Tegh Bahadur in the Assembly during a debate on a programme organised by the Delhi government to mark the 350th martyrdom day of the ninth Sikh Guru in November 2025.
The Delhi Assembly has taken cognisance of the FIR, with Speaker Vijender Gupta saying strict action would be taken against the Jalandhar Police Commissioner for “breach of privilege” because the video clip is property of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha.
On Saturday, hundreds of AAP workers held demonstrations outside the residences of BJP leader Ashwani Sharma in Pathankot, Congress leader Pargat Singh in Jalandhar Cantonment, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Lambi, and Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira in Bholath.
Strict action should be taken against those who circulate fake videos for petty political interests and insult the Guru Sahib, senior AAP leader and the party’s Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia said.
Public anger against such leaders is justified, Mr. Sisodia said in a post on social media platform X, and demanded that those responsible be sent to jail.
Several leaders from the BJP, the Congress, and the SAD shared the “edited” video, which was originally posted by a BJP Minister from Delhi, he also said, claiming this showed a coordinated attempt to spread misinformation.
Addressing a protest in Jalandhar, Punjab Minister Mohinder Bhagat claimed Opposition parties were resorting to false propaganda because they had failed to challenge the Bhagwant Mann government on development and governance issues.
“Leaders from all three Opposition parties knowingly circulated the edited video to mislead the public without considering its consequences,” Mr. Bhagat said.
The AAP leaders said the party would not tolerate any attempt to hurt religious sentiments or mislead people with “fabricated” content.
Ms. Atishi has accused the BJP of indulging in petty politics by dragging the name of the ninth Sikh guru into the controversy.
In a video post on X, Ms. Atishi claimed that she was talking about the BJP running away from a discussion on pollution, and about their protest in the Assembly on the issue of stray dogs. But the BJP deliberately added a false subtitle and inserted the name of Guru Tegh Bahadur into it, she alleged, referring to the clip.
The former Delhi CM also said that she belongs to a family in which, for generations, the eldest son adopted Sikhism. She would rather die than insult the Guru Sahib, Ms. Atishi said.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
