BJP leaders burn the effigy of LoP Delhi Assembly Atishi, during a protest against her statements allegedly insulting Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, in Jalandhar on Saturday. (ANI Video Grab)
Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced a gherao of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s residence in Chandigarh on January 16, widespread protests and counter-protests by AAP, BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over the issue of an allegedly doctored video of the former Delhi chief minister and current Leader of Opposition were seen across Punjab on Saturday.
AAP MLAs, ministers and party workers staged protests outside the residences of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal at village Badal in Muktsar district, Pathankot MLA and BJP Punjab working president Ashwani Sharma in Pathankot, Congress MLA Pargat Singh in Jalandhar, and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in Bholath (Kapurthala district), demanding their arrest for allegedly sharing a doctored video of former Delhi chief minister and Leader of Opposition Atishi on social media.
The Jalandhar police commissionerate on Friday registered an FIR against unknown persons for sharing doctored video on social media platforms.
Simultaneously in other parts of Punjab, BJP and SAD workers held protests at various locations across the state, seeking action against Atishi, alleging that she had hurt religious sentiments by disrespecting Sikh Gurus during her speech in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar announced that the party would gherao the Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh on January 16 to protest against what he described as the continuously deteriorating law and order situation in the state, Punjab emerging as a hub of drugs, and increasing corruption, besides the handling of the Atishi video issue.
Jakhar said that although the clarification issued by former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi regarding her video itself looks like an admission of guilt, the Punjab Police conducted a forensic examination of her video within a day and gave her a clean chit. He questioned why the same Punjab Police could not conduct a forensic examination of the purported sacrilege video related to the Chief Minister within a day and give him a clean chit as well.
He challenged Mann to either resign from his post or immediately get the investigation conducted into the video related to alleged religious sacrilege circulating about him, and prove himself completely innocent.
The Punjab BJP chief also questioned the silence over a purported audio related to the Patiala SSP, saying that the latter was allegedly planning to rig the Zila Parishad elections by acting as a tool of the ruling party, but the state government is silent. He said that despite the high court’s orders, the government has not yet given any response regarding the investigation into the Patiala SSP’s audio.
Amid the Atishi’s video’s controversy, the Speaker of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha issued notices to the Punjab Director General of Police, the Special DGP and the Jalandhar Police Commissioner, seeking their replies within 48 hours over the registration of the FIR, stating that the matter was already under consideration as a breach of privilege in the Delhi Assembly.
Reacting to the notices, AAP chief spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said that the FIR in Jalandhar was registered on the basis of a complaint from the persons whose sentiments were hurt and a forensic examination had shown the video to be doctored. He said Atishi had clarified that she had no intention of hurting anyone’s sentiments and her video was tempered. Kang accused the BJP of indulging in “low-level politics”.
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal, held district-level protests across the state demanding registration of a case against Atishi and cancellation of her membership of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha. SAD delegations submitted memorandums to deputy commissioners, urging the Punjab Governor and the Speaker of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha to take action, alleging that Atishi’s remarks in the Assembly had hurt Sikh sentiments.
The SAD also demanded removal of what it termed disparaging videos against Sikh Gurus and institutions from social media and registration of cases against those responsible under cyber crime laws.
During the dharna at the district headquarters, the SAD leaders alleged that Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had committed an unpardonable sin by grossly disrespecting the great Guru Sahiban in a viral video. They said instead of repenting this sin, the chief minister had opened a front against Sri Akal Takht Sahib. “Not only is he disrespecting the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs but he has also unleashed a defamatory campaign through his proxies against the great Guru Sahiban, the premier institutions of the Sikh community and Sikh leaders,” the leaders added.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
