Delhi speaker says Atishi clip not tampered with; AAP says term ‘guru’ not used

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta confirmed a forensic report found no tampering in Assembly recordings.

Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Saturday stated that a forensic report commissioned by the House found no evidence to suggest tampering with the audio-video recordings of Assembly proceedings, pertaining to alleged remarks made by the leader of the Opposition (LoP), Atishi, regarding “Sikh Gurus” during the recently concluded winter session.

The recently concluded winter session of Assembly. (HT PHOTO)

Gupta said he would order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the parallel investigations conducted in Punjab, which reportedly found the recording to have been tampered with.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, in response, said both investigations concluded that the disputed word “guru” did not feature in the video, contradicting claims made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He targeted Delhi minister Kapil Mishra for allegedly circulating a “fake clip” and demanded his arrest.

Addressing a press conference, Gupta displayed the report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and said it clearly established the legitimacy of the audio-video recording of the House proceedings. “The verbatim record and the audio-video are an exact match. Based on frame-by-frame analysis, the laboratory has found no indication of alteration, manipulation, or tampering. The recording is original and intact in all respects, as per the forensic audit,” said Gupta.

He said that the matter had been taken up in the Assembly following a demand by the Opposition, after which the House unanimously decided to send the recordings for forensic examination. The speaker also expressed concern over developments in Punjab, where, he said, a parallel forensic examination was initiated despite the Assembly-authorised process being underway. He said reports indicated that the Punjab government had obtained a forensic report and registered an FIR in the matter.

“These actions raise serious questions about propriety, intent, and adherence to due process,” Gupta said, adding that he would direct a CBI investigation to examine the entire sequence of events.

Referring to an order passed by a Jalandhar court to block or take down “doctored” videos of Atishi, Gupta said it was an interim order and not a final determination on facts or culpability. “An interim order cannot be projected as a verdict, nor can it be used as a political shield to suppress the truth,” he said.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann remained bullish on the issue. “The forensic report has come and the court has also made its position clear, but if the BJP believes that the CBI is above even the forensic laboratory, then it should go ahead and order a CBI probe as well,” he said.

AAP’s chief whip in the Delhi Assembly, Sanjeev Jha, said that the BJP told a “very big lie” and was trying to “turn it into the truth”, but had been caught. “The AAP understands the BJP inside out, how far it can stoop and how big a lie it can tell. This is precisely why, three days ago, AAP had already held a press conference and warned the public about the kind of lie the BJP was going to spread.”

Addressing a press conference on the day, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the FSL report in Punjab was prepared by checking the video using an AI software.

“Atishi has not come forward until today because she has no answer to this sin. The forensic audit report today proves her misconduct in the Assembly and her insult of the gurus. She must come forward and clarify for whom and why she used such abusive language while a discussion on the honour of the Guru Sahib was being held in the House,” Sirsa said.

“Can an investigation into such a serious matter be conducted using an AI tool? This is not a political battle. In Punjab, the land of the Guru Sahib, religion cannot be intimidated by the power of the police and the government,” he said.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta posted on X that the truth has finally prevailed. “The FSL report released publicly by the speaker has made it clear that the video of the unparliamentary and shameful remark made by Leader of Opposition Atishi on the great sacrifice of the Gurus in the Assembly on January 6 is 100% authentic.There has been no tampering of any kind in this video of the Assembly proceedings,” Gupta wrote.

She added that it was “extremely unfortunate” and “shameful” that the AAP resorted to using the Punjab government, Punjab Police, and Punjab’s forensic lab to suppress the truth.

Vijender Gupta said LoP Atishi had been given an opportunity to clarify her position in the House but did not do so. He said an opportunity still remained for her to withdraw her remarks and apologise before the House. “The House alone is competent to take a final view on this subject,” Gupta said.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday wrote to speaker Gupta, seeking the disqualification of LoP Atishi from the House over her alleged blasphemous remarks. Badal urged Gupta to recommend the registration of an FIR against Atishi. The AAP leader’s remarks “deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community”, the former deputy chief minister said.

AAP Delhi chief Bharadwaj alleged that Delhi minister Kapil Mishra circulated a “fake” clip, his actions amounted to insulting religious sentiments and demanded his removal from office, also urging the BJP to place the forensic report before court. “The forensic report was meant to verify whether the word ‘guru’ was spoken. It is clear that Atishi did not use that word at all. The BJP is trying to save face by presenting half-truths,” Bharadwaj said.

(with inputs from Chandigarh bureau and agencies)