CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has landed in a fresh political and legal controversy over a video clip of former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, allegedly showing her using derogatory language against Sikh Guru Guru Teg Bahadur Ji during a debate in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha on the Guru’s supreme sacrifice. The row has widened into a multi-front confrontation involving rival forensic reports, ex-parte judicial orders, sharp political exchanges between AAP and the BJP, and renewed scrutiny over how sensitive religious matters are being handled.
Delhi Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vijender Gupta on Thursday categorically rejected AAP’s claim that the video circulating on social media had been tampered with. Gupta said the clip, originally posted by a BJP minister, was “in its original form” and that a forensic report obtained by the Delhi government’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) confirmed that Atishi had indeed uttered the disputed words. He dismissed the Punjab government’s claim that its own forensic examination showed manipulation in the video.
The controversy deepened after the Punjab government secured an order from a Jalandhar court directing social media platforms to delete the video. The order was reportedly based on a forensic report from a Punjab laboratory that concluded the clip was doctored. This led to immediate political pushback, with Vijender Gupta questioning both the credibility of the Punjab lab’s findings and the basis on which the court issued directions without hearing the other side.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj countered the Speaker’s assertions, alleging a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by the BJP-led central government. He questioned the Speaker’s authority to rely on forensic findings, arguing that the Vidhan Sabha itself has no laboratory to authenticate videos. Saurabh reiterated that Atishi had not uttered the words attributed to her in the clip and maintained that the video was selectively edited to inflame religious sentiments.
Legal experts and opposition leaders have also raised concerns over the manner in which judicial orders were issued in the case. Questions are being asked about the use of ex-parte orders—passed without hearing the version of all parties—particularly when the matter involves political speech and public dissemination of content.
This is not the first time Punjab courts have faced criticism for issuing ex-parte directions to remove online content. Earlier, a Mohali court had passed similar orders to delete allegedly obscene videos of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that were posted by Jagman Singh, a Canada-based individual and former friend of the Chief Minister. That episode, too, sparked debate over free speech, due process, and the selective use of legal remedies.
Adding another layer to the unfolding crisis, a separate controversy is brewing over a video purportedly showing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann indulging in sacrilege and insulting the photograph of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The Sikh clergy has taken serious note of the matter. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh has formally taken cognizance of the video and summoned the Chief Minister.
Notably, unlike in the Atishi case, the Punjab government has not ordered a forensic examination of the Bhagwant Mann video. The Akal Takht Jathedar has now asked the Chief Minister, during his appearance before the Akal Takht, to name two forensic laboratories of his choice for an impartial forensic investigation of the clip.
Together, these controversies have placed AAP under sustained pressure, exposing it to accusations of double standards in dealing with sensitive videos and raising broader questions about the politicisation of forensic evidence, the role of courts in content takedowns, and the handling of issues deeply intertwined with Sikh religious sentiments. As political tempers rise, the coming days are likely to test both institutional credibility and the party’s ability to navigate a crisis that spans politics, law, and faith.