New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) Punjab Police officials and a senior Punjab Home Department official appeared before the Committee of Privileges of the Delhi Assembly in connection with Leader of Opposition Atishi’s video row, an official said on Friday.

Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said that the Committee will prepare a report – on the breach of privilege and contempt in the matter of alleged remarks of LoP Atishi against Sikh Gurus – which will be tabled in the House.

“It is an ongoing process, and there is no timeline for it. The opinion of the Committee and the decision of the Assembly will decide the future course of action,” said Gupta.

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

The identical letter issued to Alok Shekhar, Additional Chief Secretary, Home-II, Punjab government, Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav and Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat asked them to appear at 3 p.m. at the MLA Lounge-I in Delhi Assembly to attend the meeting of the Committee of Privileges on Friday.

The notice for appearance was issued under Rule 172 and 220 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi in the matter of complaints regarding breach of privilege and contempt in the matter of alleged remarks of LoP Atishi against Sikh Gurus.

The summons sent to Punjab officials said, “It may be noted that non-compliance of this summons could… lead to initiation of proceedings for breach of privilege/contempt of the Assembly.”

Earlier, the Punjab government justified the registration of an FIR in Jalandhar over the Atishi video row and told the Delhi Assembly that a video clip, which is created/modified/altered, cannot be treated as the property of the House.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Assembly, the Punjab government’s Home Affairs department asserted that the FIR registered by Jalandhar Police did not amount to breach of privilege.

The letter written by Punjab’s Under Secretary, Home, Kailash Gautam, said that “privilege provided to the member of the House under Article 194(3) of the Constitution of India cannot be extended for an act whereby a video clip has been created/modified/altered with caption added outside the House”.

“The Registration of an FIR for a cognisable offence committed outside the House and the ongoing investigation of a cognisable offence under the BNSS does not constitute breach of privilege,” said the Punjab official.

“A video clip which is created/modified/altered with caption added and independently circulated cannot under any circumstances be treated as the property of the House or anything said in the House. Registration of such an FIR is not on publication of the proceedings of the House and operates on a different plane under the watchful supervision of courts and is subject to judicial review,” said the letter sent by the Punjab’s Under Secretary, Home.

“The Secretariat of the Legislature of a State does not possess authority to request for the documents which are subject matters of the investigation of an FIR which is registered in another state on the issue which has no connection to the proceedings of the House,” said the letter.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Assembly’s Committee of Privileges on Wednesday informed the three Punjab officials that the Notice/ Summons issued to the concerned officers was not on the grounds of non-receipt of replies alone, and that complete details of the matter had already been communicated earlier.

“The officers would be provided with adequate opportunity to explain their stand before the Committee on February 27,” the Secretariat said in its last communication.

–IANS

rch/uk