NEW DELHI: In Delhi’s Leader of Opposition Atishi’s video row, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat on Saturday issued summons to Punjab Police chief, Jalandhar Police commissioner and a senior Punjab Home Department official to appear before it on February 27.
The identical letter issued to Alok Shekhar, Additional Chief Secretary, Home-II, Punjab government, Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav and Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat asked them to appear at 3 p.m. at the MLA Lounge-I in Delhi Assembly to attend the meeting of the Committee of Privileges.
The notice for appearance was issued under Rule 172 and 220 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi in the matter of complaints regarding breach of privilege and contempt in the matter of alleged remarks of LoP Atishi against Sikh Gurus.
The summons sent to Punjab officials said, “It may be noted that non-compliance of this summons could… lead to initiation of proceedings for breach of privilege/contempt of the Assembly.”
Earlier, the Punjab government justified the registration of an FIR in Jalandhar over the Atishi video row and told the Delhi Assembly that a video clip, which is created/modified/altered, cannot be treated as the property of the House.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Assembly, the Punjab government’s Home Affairs department asserted that the FIR registered by Jalandhar Police did not amount to breach of privilege.
The letter written by Punjab’s Under Secretary, Home, Kailash Gautam, said that “privilege provided to the member of the House under Article 194(3) of the Constitution of India cannot be extended for an act whereby a video clip has been created/modified/altered with caption added outside the House”.
“The Registration of an FIR for a cognizable offence committed outside the House and the ongoing investigation of a cognizable offence under the BNSS does not constitute breach of privilege, ” said the Punjab official.
“A video clip which is created/modified/altered with caption added and independently circulated cannot under any circumstances be treated as the property of the House or anything said in the House. Registration of such an FIR is not on publication of the proceedings of the House and operates on a different plane under the watchful supervision of courts and is subject to judicial review, ” said the letter sent by the Punjab’s Under Secretary, Home.
“The Secretariat of the Legislature of a State does not possess authority to request for the documents which are subject matters of the investigation of an FIR which is registered in another state on the issue which has no connection to the proceedings of the House, ” said the letter.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Assembly’s Committee of Privileges on Saturday took on record the replies filed by Punjab’s senior officials.