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The political confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly escalated sharply after Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva strongly condemned Leader of Opposition Atishi Marlena for her alleged remarks on Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur, demanding a public apology and announcing a protest against the AAP leadership.
Speaking on the issue, Sachdeva said, "When the Assembly was paying its tribute to the sacrifices made by Guru Tegh Bahadur ji and the Sahibzaade, at that time, the derogatory words used by LoP Atishi are not worth using anywhere. We strongly condemn it. The public is agitated on this issue." He added that the BJP has decided to hold a protest demonstration outside the AAP office on Friday against Atishi and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, insisting that Atishi must publicly apologise for her statement. The controversy unfolded amid a charged atmosphere in the Delhi Assembly during the ongoing winter session. On Thursday morning, proceedings were disrupted as BJP MLAs protested against AAP over the alleged remarks, while AAP legislators countered by entering the House with posters and slogans demanding the resignation of BJP leader Kapil Mishra. The uproar forced the Speaker to adjourn the House for 30 minutes. The issue comes against the backdrop of AAP's protest earlier this week at the Delhi Assembly premises over rising air pollution and deteriorating AQI levels in the national capital. Atishi had accused the BJP of "running away" from discussions on pollution and avoiding accountability. She highlighted the severe health impact of poor air quality, claiming children are being forced to use steroid inhalers, hospitals like AIIMS are filled with patients struggling to breathe, and senior citizens are facing life-threatening conditions. She also alleged that AQI data is being manipulated through water sprays, calling the situation a serious public health emergency that requires legislative action. Meanwhile, AAP MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Mukesh Ahlawat wrote to Speaker Vijendra Gupta, questioning the circulation of a video related to Atishi's remarks. He stated that the video shared by Kapil Mishra is not part of the official Assembly record and raised concerns over how it was obtained. AAP has demanded the release of full Assembly footage, cancellation of Kapil Mishra's membership for circulating what it terms a manipulated video, and suspension of other MLAs who shared it. The winter session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly began on January 5 and will continue till January 8. (ANI)
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