Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday accused the BJP of deliberately targeting AAP leader Atishi by attributing remarks to her on Guru Tegh Bahadur that she never made, calling the episode an insult to Sikh sentiments.
In a post on X, Mann alleged that the BJP had added the Sikh guru’s name to a video clip of Atishi using words she did not utter. “Today, the BJP’s anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh face has been exposed once again,” Mann said. “They have insulted the Guru by adding his name to a video of Atishi, using words she never even uttered.”
The Punjab CM demanded an apology from the BJP to the Sikh community and the people of Punjab. “The BJP should apologise for this shameful act. It has always indulged in the politics of religion and hatred, but this will not work in Punjab,” he added.
The controversy erupted after BJP MLAs disrupted proceedings in the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday, seeking the cancellation of Atishi’s membership for allegedly disrespecting Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta accused Atishi of making a “shameful and indecent” comment in the House and urged Speaker Vijender Gupta to take action. “This undignified comment has hurt the sentiments not only of the Sikh community but also of people across the country,” Gupta said in a post on X.
Rejecting the allegations, Atishi said the BJP was resorting to petty politics by dragging the ninth Sikh guru into an unrelated issue. In a video message, she claimed she was speaking about the BJP avoiding a discussion on pollution and protesting inside the Assembly over the issue of stray dogs.
“The BJP deliberately added a false subtitle and inserted the Guru’s name into the clip,” she said.
Atishi also underlined her family’s close ties with Sikh traditions. “I come from a family where, for generations, the eldest son has been raised as a Sikh. I would rather die than insult Guru Tegh Bahadur,” she said.
