New Delhi
A major political controversy has erupted following allegations of the use of objectionable language during proceedings in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on the 6th, with opposition leaders describing the incident as an unprecedented and grave wrongdoing that has hurt religious sentiments and undermined the dignity of the House.
According to the allegations, the incident took place during a discussion marking 350 years of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayala. Opposition members claimed that words spoken by Leader of Opposition Atishi Marlena during the debate amounted to sacrilege, a serious offence and a moral wrongdoing, and had no justification under any circumstances.
The opposition further alleged that following the incident, Atishi Marlena remained continuously absent from the media, the public domain and the Assembly. Despite repeated summons by the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, she did not appear before the House to clarify her position or respond to the allegations. This absence, they claimed, raised further questions about accountability and transparency.
Serious allegations were also levelled against Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, with opposition leaders claiming that, on his directions, resources of the Punjab government and the Punjab Police were misused to suppress the matter. It was alleged that false cases were registered against individuals and attempts were made to intimidate those raising objections over the incident.
An appeal was made to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann not to become a participant in what was described as a “sin and wrongdoing,” and to refrain from allowing the use of state machinery for political purposes. Opposition leaders stressed that the issue was not related to routine political rivalry, but was a matter of faith, religious reverence and the dignity of the legislative assembly.
They asserted that they were not afraid of police cases, arrests or imprisonment, and would continue to pursue the matter both legally and politically. According to them, Arvind Kejriwal should have ensured that Atishi Marlena issued an apology for the remarks, instead of allowing the controversy to escalate.
The opposition also stated that the Punjab Police should have been kept completely away from the matter, which pertains to proceedings of the Delhi Assembly. They alleged that instead of following constitutional and legal processes within Delhi, attempts were made to register false FIRs in Punjab, further politicising the issue.
It was pointed out that on the 7th, at around 11:30 am, the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly read out the verbatim record of the controversial video in the House. According to opposition members, no objection was raised by any member at that time regarding the authenticity or content of the verbatim record. Despite this, they alleged, false FIRs were subsequently lodged outside Delhi using the Punjab Police.
Through a press conference, opposition leaders demanded that Atishi Marlena stop “running away or hiding” and instead come forward to face the media and the public. They insisted that she should appear before the Assembly’s Privilege Committee and submit herself to the due legal process.
The opposition made it clear that the matter would not be allowed to die down and that the legal and political battle would continue until accountability was fixed. They reiterated that the controversy concerns religious faith and the sanctity of legislative proceedings, and not partisan politics.
Concluding their remarks, opposition leaders appealed to the Punjab Police to focus on maintaining law and order and ensuring the security of the state, rather than being drawn into what they described as political tasks unrelated to public safety.
