Sikh Guru row: Speaker orders forensic probe of video, refers matter to Privileges Committee

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Thursday directed a forensic examination of a video that carries the alleged insult to Guru Tegh Bahadur and referred the matter to the Privileges Committee.

The Winter session of the Assembly was paralysed for the second day in a row as the BJP MLAs trooped into the well of the House demanding action against Leader of the Opposition Atishi.

Opposition AAP MLAs also protested, shouting slogans and waving posters.

The BJP MLAs on Tuesday accused Atishi of "insulting" the Sikh Guru after a special discussion on a programme held by the Delhi government to mark his 350th martyrdom anniversary in November last year.

Gupta said that both the ruling party and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members have demanded a forensic examination of the video clip.

He ordered the forensic probe report to be submitted within 15 days.

"The matter related to the remarks allegedly made by the Leader of Opposition regarding Sikh Gurus has been referred by Speaker Vijender Gupta to the Privileges Committee for examination and report," a statement from the Delhi Assembly secretariat read.

On Thursday, the speaker adjourned the House for the entire day amid protests. It was adjourned without transacting any business on Wednesday also.

The session has been extended for one day to complete important business, including tabling of CAG reports, motion of thanks on LG address to the House, tabling of Jan Vishwas Bill, and appropriation Bills.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Parvesh Verma demanded a time-bound completion of the probe into the matter by the Privileges Committee.

Earlier, Atishi strongly rejected the charge against her and said she was talking about the BJP running away from a discussion on pollution and about their protest in the Assembly over the issue of stray dogs.

"But the BJP deliberately added a false subtitle and inserted the name of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji into it," she had said, referring to a video shared by the BJP leaders.

Kapil Mishra, who posted the video on his X profile, alleged that Atishi committed a "sin" by "insulting" the Sikh Gurus.

"The video is on record of the Delhi Assembly and available to everyone. After committing such a grave sin, she is trying to prove herself correct, which shows she deliberately insulted the Gurus, and it was not any mistake," Mishra said.

He also demanded an apology from AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal for the alleged remark by Atishi.

"We have demanded that the Speaker cancel her Assembly membership," Mishra said.

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said Atishi was politicising the issue instead of accepting her mistake and apologising.

He claimed that the former Delhi chief minister had gone to Goa, where she is in charge of the state unit of AAP.

"She called the official video of the House false, which is extremely unfortunate," Sood said.

AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, in a press conference, claimed that the video posted by the BJP leaders was "tampered" and accused the ruling party of dragging the Sikh Guru's name into politics.

"The BJP distorted video and insulted Guru Sahib. The Speaker must release the original video," he charged and demanded that Mishra's membership be cancelled for posting a "fake" video.

AAP MLA Mukesh Ahlawat wrote a letter to the Assembly Speaker, alleging the circulation of a fake video using Guru Tegh Bahadur's name, and demanding strict action against Mishra and other BJP legislators. PTI SSM VIT VN VN