New Delhi, February 27 (NationPress) — Officials from the Punjab Police, alongside a senior representative from the Punjab Home Department, attended a session of the Delhi Assembly's Committee of Privileges regarding the controversy surrounding Leader of Opposition Atishi’s video, as confirmed by an official on Friday.

Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta indicated that the Committee is tasked with creating a report concerning the alleged breach of privilege and contempt related to remarks made by LoP Atishi about Sikh Gurus, which will subsequently be presented to the Assembly.

“This is an ongoing matter, and there isn’t a specific deadline for its conclusion. The Committee’s findings, along with the Assembly’s decisions, will dictate the next steps,” Gupta stated.

On February 21, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat had issued summons to the Punjab Police chief, the Jalandhar Police commissioner, and a senior Punjab Home Department official to appear on February 27.

The summons, which was similarly addressed to Alok Shekhar, Additional Chief Secretary, Home-II of the Punjab government, Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav, and Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, requested their presence at 3 p.m. in the MLA Lounge-I of the Delhi Assembly for the Committee of Privileges meeting.

The notice was issued under Rule 172 and 220 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly of the NCT of Delhi, focusing on complaints about the breach of privilege and contempt stemming from LoP Atishi’s alleged comments regarding Sikh Gurus.

The communication to the Punjab officials stated, “Failure to comply with this summons may result in proceedings for breach of privilege/contempt of the Assembly.”

Previously, the Punjab government defended the filing of an FIR in Jalandhar concerning the Atishi video issue, asserting to the Delhi Assembly that a video clip that has been created, modified, or altered is not considered the property of the House.

In a correspondence to the Assembly Secretary, the Punjab Home Affairs department claimed that the FIR filed by Jalandhar Police does not constitute a breach of privilege.

Kailash Gautam, Under Secretary, Home, of Punjab, wrote, “The privilege extended to members of the House under Article 194(3) of the Constitution of India does not apply to actions involving a video clip that has been created, modified, or altered with additional captions outside the House.”

“The filing of an FIR for a cognizable offense occurring outside the House, along with the ongoing investigation of a cognizable offense under the BNSS, cannot be regarded as a breach of privilege,” the Punjab official asserted.

“A video clip that is created, modified, or altered and circulated independently cannot be classified as the property of the House or represent anything said within the House. The registration of such an FIR does not pertain to the publication of House proceedings and exists within a separate legal framework overseen by courts and subject to judicial review,” the letter from Punjab’s Under Secretary, Home, stated.

“The Secretariat of a State Legislature lacks the authority to request documents that pertain to an investigation of an FIR registered in a different state concerning matters unrelated to House proceedings,” the letter continued.

Meanwhile, the Committee of Privileges of the Delhi Assembly notified the three Punjab officials that the Notice/Summons served to them was not solely based on the lack of received responses, as complete details of the situation had already been communicated earlier.

“The officials will have ample opportunity to present their perspective to the Committee on February 27,” concluded the Secretariat in its latest communication.