New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva has said that the party respects the court order related to the direction to social media platforms to take down a video linked to the Leader of Opposition Atishi’s remarks in the city Assembly but criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for twisting facts about the matter.

​He said the BJP respects all court orders but it is unfortunate that the AAP-led Punjab government filed a petition in the Jalandhar court without making the Delhi BJP leaders — who had shared the concerned video clip on social media platform X — parties to the case.

In its petition, the Punjab government claimed that the said video could lead to riots in Punjab and, therefore, sought its removal from various social media platforms such as Facebook, X, and Instagram, the Delhi BJP said.

Sachdeva said the Jalandhar court, without conducting any independent examination of the concerned video, directed the social media companies to block the video solely on the basis of the Punjab government’s claim regarding the possibility of law-and-order disturbances.

The Delhi BJP President added: “If the AAP and its Punjab government believe that the video released by Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on social media is fake, then they must answer my question: If AAP considers the video to be fake, why did it not file a complaint regarding the incident that occurred in the Delhi Assembly with the Delhi Police or before any court in Delhi?”

He also asked: “When the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly had already ordered a forensic examination of the concerned video, why did AAP leaders file a complaint with the Punjab Police and initiate an investigation without first examining the original Assembly recording?”

Sachdeva hit out at the Punjab government and AAP leaders for misinterpreting the court’s order, claiming that the court has declared the video fake which clearly indicates that the AAP leadership is shaken by the political damage caused in Punjab due to the controversial remarks made by Atishi against Sikh Gurus during a discussion.

He added that instead of misrepresenting the court’s order, it would be better if AAP leaders ask Atishi to issue a public apology for her controversial statement.

–IANS

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