New Delhi, Jan 10: Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Saturday announced that notices have been issued to three senior Punjab Police officers, demanding their responses within 48 hours regarding the registration of an FIR against Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra based on a video clip from the Assembly proceedings.
The notices have been served to Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP), Special DGP (Cyber Crime), and the Commissioner of Jalandhar Police for alleged “breach of Delhi Assembly’s privileges,” Gupta revealed during a press conference in the national capital.
The Speaker strongly objected to the use of Assembly video recordings, which he emphasized are the exclusive property of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, stating that the registration of an FIR by Punjab Police based on such footage was “unfortunate” and had compromised the dignity and sanctity of the House.
“The video recording of Assembly proceedings is the property of this House. Its unauthorized use by any external agency, especially for registering criminal cases, constitutes a serious breach of parliamentary privilege and undermines the autonomy of the legislature,” Gupta said.
He added that further action against the Punjab Police officers would be determined after receiving and reviewing their replies to the notices. The Speaker made it clear that the Assembly would not tolerate any infringement of its privileges and would take appropriate measures to protect its constitutional authority.
The controversy erupted after Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra and several BJP MLAs shared a clip from the Assembly’s video recording, alleging that Leader of Opposition Atishi had insulted Guru Tegh Bahadur during Assembly proceedings. The allegations stemmed from a debate held on Tuesday regarding a Delhi government programme conducted in November last year to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru.
Following the circulation of the video clip on social media, the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate registered an FIR against Mishra and others, accusing them of uploading and circulating an “edited and doctored” video of Atishi. Punjab Police claimed that the video had been manipulated to misrepresent the Leader of Opposition’s statements.
Gupta disclosed that the Delhi Assembly has formally requested all related documents and the forensic report on which Punjab Police based its claim that the video was “doctored and edited.” He said the House wants to examine the technical evidence and methodology used by the Punjab Police to arrive at their conclusions.
The Speaker launched a scathing attack on the AAP regime in Punjab, condemning what he termed as the “blatant misuse” of the state police machinery for political purposes. “This appears to be a clear case of political vendetta where state police are being used to settle scores and protect political interests rather than upholding law and order,” Gupta alleged.
He questioned the jurisdiction and authority of Punjab Police to take cognizance of proceedings that occurred within the Delhi Legislative Assembly, calling it an overreach that sets a dangerous precedent for legislative functioning across the country.
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs have intensified their demands for cancelling Atishi’s Assembly membership, alleging that she “insulted” Guru Tegh Bahadur during the debate. The opposition legislators have accused her of making derogatory remarks about the revered Sikh Guru, charges that the AAP leadership has vehemently denied.
The AAP has maintained that the video was selectively edited and taken out of context to malign Atishi and the party ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi. Party leaders have accused the BJP of using religious sentiments for political gains and manufacturing controversies to divert attention from governance issues.
The matter has now escalated into a full-blown constitutional confrontation between the Delhi Assembly and Punjab Police, raising questions about the extent of legislative privilege, the sanctity of Assembly proceedings, and the boundaries of police jurisdiction in matters involving elected representatives.
Legal experts have pointed out that the use of Assembly proceedings for criminal prosecution without proper authorization could have far-reaching implications for parliamentary democracy and the independence of legislative institutions across India.
The Delhi Assembly is expected to take up the matter more comprehensively in the coming days, with the possibility of constituting a privilege committee to examine the breach and recommend appropriate action against those responsible.
