Delhi: Political tensions escalated across Punjab on Saturday as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and opposition parties locked horns over a controversial video allegedly linked to Delhi Opposition Leader and AAP legislator Atishi Marlena. The dispute, centred on claims of objectionable references to Sikh religious figures, spilled onto the streets with rival demonstrations held in multiple districts.
AAP leaders and workers staged protests targeting Congress leaders and also gathered outside the residence of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Badal village of Muktsar district. The party maintained that the viral clip attributed to Atishi was manipulated and circulated with malicious intent to inflame religious sentiments ahead of key political developments.
On the other hand, SAD leaders organised protests outside the Bathinda district administrative complex and other locations, accusing AAP and Atishi of making disrespectful remarks about Guru Tegh Bahadur during proceedings in the Delhi Assembly. The issue quickly became a rallying point for opposition parties, who demanded accountability and action.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also entered the fray, holding demonstrations against AAP. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar questioned the manner in which the controversy was handled by the state machinery. He pointed out that a forensic examination of Atishi’s video was reportedly completed within a day, resulting in a clean chit, and argued that similar urgency was missing in other sensitive cases. Jakhar challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to either step down or ensure a swift forensic probe into a separate video allegedly linked to him, insisting that equal standards must apply.
Amid the political sparring, an FIR was registered in Jalandhar following a complaint alleging that the viral video of Atishi had been deliberately edited and that the contentious words attributed to her were never spoken. Adding another layer to the controversy, the Delhi Assembly has sought an explanation from the Punjab Director General of Police and the Jalandhar Police Commissioner by January 12, questioning their intervention in a matter it considers to be within the exclusive privilege of the legislature.
