Bathinda, Jan 11 (AHN) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday launched a rebuttal to the BJP over the “tampering” of former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi’s Assembly video, declaring “it a deliberate conspiracy to provoke communal unrest in Punjab”.

Asserting that the secular state government would not allow such designs to succeed, the Chief Minister said the video was edited with false subtitles, an act of ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege), and pointed out that forensic findings have conclusively established that Atishi never used the word “Guru”.

Defending the Punjab Police action against BJP leader Kapil Mishra, CM Mann said the falsified clip does not figure anywhere in the official Assembly records and pointed out that the BJP “is pursuing an anti-Punjab agenda on issues ranging from Chandigarh and the BBMB to Panjab University, while Opposition leaders are scrambling to defend lies in the absence of any real issue against the state government”.

Mann told the media here, “Ever since its inception, the BJP has pursued the politics of communalism, divisiveness and hatred. With the Assembly elections approaching, the party has started implementing this agenda in Punjab to divide people on sectarian lines. The BJP had morphed the video of the former Delhi Chief Minister by inserting its own subtitles. Even the forensic investigation has clearly established that the word ‘Guru’ was never used by the AAP leader.”

The Chief Minister said that misrepresenting facts to suit political needs was an old strategy of the BJP and that this act had deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikh ‘sangat’. “By morphing the video, they have committed sacrilege. This is intolerable, and they will be punished for their sins,” he said, adding that the video being morphed was evident as the words attributed to the former Delhi Chief Minister did not appear in the official proceedings of the House.

Referring to BJP leader Kapil Mishra, CM Mann said, “The leader who uploaded the morphed video on social media will have to face the consequences of his actions. The Punjab Police had rightly registered a case against him. There is no issue of any Delhi Assembly privilege here. He has been booked for hurting the sentiments of the common people, and he will face action strictly as per the law.”

The Chief Minister said that the BJP’s mindset towards Punjab was hostile. “Former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, state BJP President Sunil Jakhar and Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu are in an awkward situation today as they are forced to justify the BJP’s enmity towards Punjab through a bundle of lies,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that the BJP and its leadership had little respect for the great Sikh Guru Sahibs, adding, “The Prime Minister never even found time to accept the invitation to attend events commemorating the 350th Shaheedi Diwas (martyrdom anniversary) of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur. Neither the Prime Minister nor any senior Central leader visited Punjab to pay obeisance during these events. This reflects a narrow and myopic mindset towards Sikhs and our great Guru Sahibs.”