The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday intensified its attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged disrespect to Sikh gurus controversy involving Delhi minister Atishi, demanding an apology from BJP leader Kapil Mishra and raising questions over the Delhi Assembly Speaker’s handling of a forensic report.
At a press conference, AAP spokesperson Anurag Dhanda said the forensic science laboratory (FSL) report submitted to a court in Jalandhar does not mention the word “guru” in Atishi’s statement. He added that the Delhi FSL report is also silent on the use of the term, arguing that this clearly shows Atishi did not utter the word. Dhanda accused Kapil Mishra of committing blasphemy and demanded his removal, while also urging Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta to make the FSL report public.
Questioning the Speaker’s decision to send the report to the privilege committee, Dhanda said there was no reason to keep it confidential after the Speaker had already addressed the media on the issue. He also cited a Jalandhar court order that referred to Kapil Mishra’s social media post, claiming the court observed that the content could hurt religious sentiments and therefore needed to be taken down.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj gave Kapil Mishra two days to apologise at the Darbar Sahib. Responding to the Speaker’s demand for a CBI probe into the Punjab Police investigation, Bharadwaj said the party had no objection to a CBI or even an NIA inquiry, asserting that any investigation would establish that Atishi did not use the word “guru”.
The political confrontation between the AAP and BJP over the Atishi “Sikh guru” remark row has sharply escalated, with both sides trading accusations. AAP leaders also backed remarks made by music composer A.R. Rahman, saying his concerns should prompt reflection within the Hindi film industry. They questioned whether symbolic gestures were sufficient to address deeper issues and warned against communal polarisation.
Meanwhile, the BJP maintained that Speaker Vijender Gupta made the forensic report public on Friday and claimed it proves Atishi made a derogatory remark on January 6. The party argued that the Jalandhar case does not accuse Kapil Mishra but is directed at social media platforms, noting that the FIR was registered on January 7, a day after the alleged incident.
The BJP further alleged that a Punjab Police constable used the AI tool Gemini to verify the video evidence. It also questioned Atishi’s remarks during a Vidhan Sabha discussion, her absence from public appearances, and accused the AAP of attempting to inflame Hindu-Sikh tensions as it loses political ground in Punjab. The Delhi BJP has demanded constitutional action against Atishi by the Speaker.
