New Delhi, January 13, 2026
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday made strong allegations against Leader of Opposition Atishi Marlena and the Aam Aadmi Party leadership, claiming that objectionable remarks made during proceedings of the Delhi Legislative Assembly amounted to sacrilege and a deliberate insult to Sikh martyrs. Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat, Mishra said the issue was not political in nature but related to faith, morality and the dignity of the legislative assembly.
Referring to the incident that allegedly took place on January 6, Mishra said an “unforgivable act” occurred inside the Delhi Assembly during a discussion marking 350 years of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayala. He alleged that during the discussion, Atishi Marlena used highly inappropriate and abusive language, which he described as sacrilege, a moral offence and a serious wrongdoing.
Mishra claimed that since the day of the incident, Atishi Marlena has remained absent from the Assembly, the media and public life. He alleged that she had been instructed to avoid facing the media and the public and to go into hiding. According to him, her continued absence proves that the act was committed knowingly and deliberately.
The minister further alleged that, on the directions of Arvind Kejriwal, resources of the Punjab government were being misused to suppress the issue. He accused the Punjab Police of being used to register false cases against individuals and intimidate those raising objections over the remarks made in the Assembly. Mishra said such actions would not succeed in silencing the matter, which he described as a grave offence linked to faith and the dignity of the House.
Appealing directly to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Mishra urged him not to become a participant in what he termed a “sin and wrongdoing.” He said political differences should remain separate, but issues related to religious respect and reverence for Sikh martyrs should not be compromised for political convenience.
Mishra stated that the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly repeatedly asked Atishi Marlena to come to the House and clarify her position while the session was ongoing. However, he alleged that she never returned to the Assembly after the incident and did not appear even once to explain her remarks.
He asserted that the correct course of action would have been for Arvind Kejriwal to call Atishi Marlena and ask her to apologise publicly. Instead, Mishra claimed, attempts were made to divert attention by filing false cases and involving the Punjab Police, which, according to him, should have had no role in a matter concerning the Delhi Assembly.
Referring to the Assembly proceedings of January 7, Mishra said that at around 11:30 am, the Speaker read out the verbatim record of the controversial video inside the House. He claimed that no member objected to the verbatim or questioned its authenticity at that time. Despite this, he alleged, false FIRs were later lodged using the Punjab Police.
During the press conference, Mishra also displayed the video and its verbatim to the media, reiterating that it was identical to what had been read out by the Speaker in the Assembly. He accused the Aam Aadmi Party of attempting to mislead the public by questioning the contents of the video after initially raising no objections in the House.
Mishra said the matter would not be buried and that Atishi Marlena would have to face the Privilege Committee of the Assembly and legal proceedings. He claimed that six ministers of the Delhi government had formally written that Atishi Marlena’s membership should be terminated over the issue.
Rejecting allegations of intimidation, Mishra said he and others were not afraid of police cases, arrests or imprisonment. “This is a matter of faith and the dignity of the Assembly. We will neither be intimidated nor remain silent,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Mishra appealed once again to the Punjab Police to focus on maintaining law and order and ensuring the security of the state, rather than engaging in political actions. He said crimes pending in Punjab require urgent attention and accused the state government of diverting police resources for political purposes. He reiterated that the issue would be pursued until accountability is fixed and justice is served.
