Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers staged protests across the state demanding the arrest of AAP leader and former Delhi CM Atishi for allegedly insulting Sikh Gurus.
he party also sought the cancellation of her Delhi Assembly membership as the row over a video clip allegedly containing her “derogatory” remarks against Sikh Gurus flared up on Saturday.
Akali Dal delegations also submitted representations to deputy commissioners in all districts, urging the Punjab Governor and the Delhi Vidhan Sabha Speaker to take action against Atishi.
The memorandum said the disparaging videos against Sikh Gurus, leaders and institutions were being “widely circulating” in the social media, thereby vitiating the atmosphere.
The SAD workers demanded that all these clips be removed from social media and appropriate cases be registered against the culprits under cybercrime laws.
During the protests, besides burning effigies of Atishi, the protesters also demanded her immediate arrest.
Meanwhile, the purported clip video was also circulating on the social media.
Akali dal spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the former Delhi CM had passed derogatory remarks against the Gurus during a special discussion in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha that was scheduled to commemorate the sacrifice made by Guru Tegh Bahadur to protect religious freedom. “Since her obnoxious remarks are part of the official record of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha, it was a fit case for the registration of an immediate case against her for hurting Sikh sentiments as well as her subsequent arrest,” he said.
Forensic probe, clean chit came in a day, says Jakhar
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Saturday said his party would gherao Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s official residence in Chandigarh on January 16 over the controversy involving a video clip of AAP leader Atishi.
He said the clarification issued by Atishi, a former Delhi CM, regarding her video was an “admission of guilt” even as the Punjab Police conducted a forensic examination of her video within a day and gave her a clean chit. Jakhar said that even in her clarification, Atishi admitted that she used the word “dogs” as a term of reference.
He questioned in what context these words were used even though the Assembly was paying tributes to Guru Tegh Bahadur for his martyrdom.