Despite a Jalandhar court’s 24-hour deadline for social media platforms to remove an allegedly doctored video of AAP leader and former Delhi chief minister Atishi, the content remained accessible on several profiles on Saturday.
The additional chief judicial magistrate had on January 15 invoked Rule 3(d) of the IT Rules, 2021, directing Meta, X, and Telegram to block the video, ruling that its circulation threatened public order and religious harmony in Punjab.
The court has sought a compliance report within 10 days.
The order followed an application by the Jalandhar cyber crime cell, which submitted over 500 URLs linked to the video. The police action follows a January 7 FIR filed on a complaint by AAP leader Iqbal Singh Bagga. He alleged that the clip, shared by BJP’s Kapil Mishra, Congress MLAs Sukhpal Khaira and Pargat Singh, and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, was maliciously edited to trigger a political row.
A review of the social media profiles of the opposition leaders showed the video was still visible on their timelines as of Saturday evening.
Jalandhar ADCP Vineet Ahlawat said that the court orders were communicated to the platforms immediately. “While content was restricted on some URLs, it remains active on the profiles of politicians. We are in touch with the platforms to ensure full implementation before the compliance report is due,” he said.
The case has created a rift between Punjab Police and the Delhi assembly secretariat. The Jalandhar police submitted a forensic report from the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Mohali, claiming the clip, which purportedly shows Atishi making remarks about Guru Tegh Bahadur, is “debunked”.
“The FSL report concluded that the word ‘Guru’ was never uttered by Atishi. Captions were deliberately added to attribute words to her that she never spoke,” the police told the court.
The case is registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for promoting enmity and public mischief.
However, senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that enforcement is being hindered by contradictory stances. While Punjab Police label the video doctored, officials pointed out that the minutes of the Delhi assembly session released on Saturday reportedly offer a different account of the proceedings.
The Punjab Police action has drawn the ire of Delhi assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta. The assembly secretariat has accused the state police of a breach of legislative privilege, asserting that the video is the official property of the House.
Gupta said the police move was a “politically motivated attempt” to stall the House’s internal investigation and demanded a formal response from Punjab Police.
