Assembly gives PB cops 3 days to submit report

New Delhi: Citing the seriousness of the issue, the Delhi Legislative Assembly Secretariat has granted the Punjab Police only three days to submit a complete report on the controversy surrounding the use of unparliamentary and objectionable language in the House on January 6. The report has been sought by January 15, curtailing the ten-day period requested by the Punjab Police.

Addressing a press conference, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said the Punjab Police had sought ten days to respond despite claiming that an FIR was registered and forensic examination initiated within hours of the incident. He said the Assembly Secretariat found the request for additional time inappropriate in view of the gravity of the matter and therefore restricted the deadline to three days. The Speaker informed that notices had been issued to the Director General of Police, Punjab, the Special DGP of the Cyber Cell, and the Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar. He questioned the independence and impartiality of the investigation, asking how and on whose orders a forensic examination was initiated by the Punjab authorities when the matter fell within the jurisdiction of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Gupta asserted that all original videos and documents related to the incident are the property of the Delhi Assembly. He raised concerns over which video material was being examined by the Punjab Police and why the Assembly was neither contacted nor asked to provide any official records. He said these actions appeared aimed at creating confusion and misleading the public rather than establishing facts, especially after public sentiments had already been hurt.

Describing the issue as both legally sensitive and emotionally significant, the Speaker alleged that the developments indicated political interference by opposition leaders in the Delhi Assembly. He said any attempt to undermine the dignity of the House would not be tolerated.

Gupta said the incident had severely disrupted the functioning of the Assembly, with proceedings repeatedly affected as the Leader of the Opposition did not attend sittings following the controversy. He added that on January 7, after reviewing the video footage, it was clear that the remarks had hurt public sentiments, particularly as they were perceived to be disrespectful to revered Gurus.