In a bold move, Delhi’s Privileges Committee has set February 20 as the cutoff for Punjab to respond in the Atishi controversy. The AAP MLA’s statements, captured in a disputed video, prompted an FIR in Jalandhar, prompting the assembly’s intervention.
Saturday’s update from an assembly official details notices to Punjab’s Home ACS, DGP, and Jalandhar CP. This is positioned as the ultimate deadline for delivering vital documents.
The list is exhaustive: complaint annexures, the FIR document, police cyber cell findings, and forensic lab reports. These pieces are crucial to unraveling claims of video tampering that allegedly insulted Sikh Gurus.
The complaint accused parties of broadcasting an altered clip from Atishi’s legislative address, branding it as blasphemous. This led to police action, now under Delhi’s scrutiny.
Officials in Punjab were reminded of their obligations under privilege rules. Any shortfall in documentation by the due date may trigger contempt proceedings.
Contextually, Punjab’s Home Secretary sought extra time last week, citing delayed awareness of Delhi’s initial communication dated February 5. Relevant feedback from state police and forensics has been relayed.
This saga reflects deeper AAP-Punjab Congress rivalries, intertwined with issues of digital forensics, hate speech laws, and assembly sovereignty. Observers await whether Punjab meets the deadline, potentially averting a privilege motion, or if it spirals into broader legal battles.