Chandigarh, Jan 8: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday came out strongly in defence of AAP leader Atishi, accusing the BJP of manufacturing a controversy by falsely linking her remarks to Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Mann said the BJP had distorted a video clip to project Atishi as having made derogatory comments about the Sikh guru. “They added words she never spoke and dragged the Guru’s name into it. This is a direct insult to Sikh faith,” he said in a post on X.
Calling the BJP “anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh,” Mann said the party must publicly apologise. “They thrive on religious polarisation, but Punjab will not accept this kind of politics,” he said.
The remarks came a day after BJP legislators in Delhi forced the adjournment of the Assembly, demanding strict action against Atishi, who is the Leader of the Opposition, for allegedly disrespecting Guru Tegh Bahadur during a discussion.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta accused Atishi of making an objectionable statement in the House. “Such comments hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community and the nation,” Gupta said, seeking intervention from the Speaker.
The BJP has claimed that Atishi made the remark following a special discussion on a three-day event organised last November to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Denying the charge, Atishi said the BJP was deliberately misrepresenting her words. “I was speaking about the BJP running away from a debate on pollution and creating a ruckus over stray dogs in the Assembly,” she said in a video posted on X.
She alleged that the party added a misleading subtitle to the clip to give it a communal angle. “The Guru’s name was inserted later. This is completely false,” she said.
Asserting her reverence for Sikh traditions, Atishi said, “I come from a family where the eldest son is traditionally raised as a Sikh. I can never insult Guru Tegh Bahadur.”
