NEW DELHI: Amid the controversy over remarks allegedly made on Sikh Gurus, the Delhi BJP on Sunday said that the AAP leadership must explain where it has “hidden” the Leader of Opposition, Atishi.
The party said AAP leaders are repeatedly claiming that Atishi did not commit any act of disrespect towards Sikh Gurus and, if that is so, they should explain why she has been kept away from the people of Delhi and the media since the evening of January 6.
Delhi BJP General Secretary and MP Yogendra Chandolia said that on January 7, AAP MLAs raised objections in the Assembly to a video posted on X by Minister Kapil Mishra and demanded an inquiry from Speaker Vijender Gupta. However, within a few hours, the AAP leadership went back on the MLAs’ demand, got an FIR registered in Punjab and produced an inquiry report within a single day.
“How was this possible?” Chandolia asked. He questioned why, if the incident took place in the Delhi Assembly, an FIR was not registered in Delhi. Chandolia said that now Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann were equally guilty of insulting Sikh Gurus, just like Atishi.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that Atishi’s absence from the Assembly, the public and the media clearly indicated that she had used inappropriate words towards Sikh Gurus while speaking in the House on January 6.
Kapoor said Atishi was not the first AAP leader to insult any religion or religious gurus. He alleged that former Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj, from time to time, insulted various religions.
He said that on December 23, Saurabh Bharadwaj made comments regarding Santa Claus, hurting the sentiments of the Christian community.