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Atishi's alleged remarks on Guru Tegh Bahadur triggers AAP vs BJP row | Who said what
The BJP has demanded an apology and the termination of Atishi from the assembly,. Meanwhile, AAP has accused the ruling party of circulating an edited video
A row has erupted in the Delhi Assembly over AAP MLA Atishi's alleged remarks on Guru Tegh Bahadur. As the session continues, the BJP has called on the Kalkaji MLA to apologise for her “insensitive remarks” on the Sikh Guru.
However, the Aam Aadmi Party has come to Atishi's defense, accusing the BJP of fabricating a story. Atishi, who is also the leader of opposition in the assembly, has accused the BJP of distorting facts.
AAP vs BJP in Delhi Assembly
BJP's allegations against Atishi
On Thursday, BJP MLAs carried out a protest in the Delhi Assembly against the opposition party, demanding an apology from Atishi. Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra has called for the termination of Atishi's Assembly membership, saying her alleged disrespectful remarks about Guru Tegh Bahadur cannot be ignored.
“Almost the entire House believes that the disrespectful behaviour displayed by the Leader of the Opposition in this House cannot be simply ignored by allowing her to walk out... The Leader of the Opposition should apologise... Yesterday, we wrote a letter to the Speaker requesting that her (Atishi's) membership also be terminated,” Mishra was quoted as saying by ANI.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also called on Atishi to apologise for her remarks.
Taking to X on Wednesday, CM Gupta stated that the remarks made by the Kalkaji MLA were "shameful and indecent" and called for strict action against the AAP Leader.
"This shameful and undignified comment has hurt the sentiments not only of the Sikh community but also of the people of the entire country," Gupta added further.
AAP hits back
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party has called for action against the BJP and called for Kapil Mishra's resignation for circulating a misleading video which sparked the row against Atishi.
"The video tweeted by Kapil Mishra is not part of the official record of the Assembly, which raises serious concerns about how he obtained the video footage. Even in the footage tweeted by him, it is clear that LoP Atishi is saying, "Then please conduct the discussion. Why have you been running away since morning? You are saying, 'respect dogs, respect dogs.' Hon'ble Speaker, please allow a discussion on this matter," wrote AAP MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Mukesh Ahlawat in a letter to Speaker Vijendra Gupta.
Furthermore, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has also slammed the BJP for spreading a false narrative against Atishi. The AAP leader has also accused the ruling party of being anti-Punjab.
"The BJP should apologise to the Sikh community and the people of Punjab for this shameful act. It has always indulged in the politics of religion and hatred, but this will not work in Punjab," wrote Mann on X, adding that the BJP has circulated a video of Atishi with remarks she "did not even utter."
What is the accusation against Atishi?
BJP has accused Atishi of disrespecting Guru Tegh Bahadur during a special discussion organised by the Delhi government to mark his 350th martyrdom ceremony in November last year.
The AAP MLA took shared two clips on X, one of which she claimed was fabricated and the other real. In her post, she said she was talking about the ruling party running away from a discussion on pollution and stray dogs.
The video, she added, had been edited by the BJP to add a false subtitle and insert the name of the Sikh Guru.
"In the video, I said about avoiding the discussion on BJP's pollution and about the protest in the assembly on the issue of stray dogs, "So why don't you hold the discussion, why have you been running away since morning? They are saying, respect the dogs! Respect the dogs! Mr. Speaker, please hold a discussion on this." But the BJP added a false subtitle inserting the name of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji into it," wrote Atishi.
The Kalkaji MLA further accused the BJP of misusing Guru Teg Bahadur's name for petty politics.
