Bhagwant Mann rejects Akal Takht edict, calls video false propaganda
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann rejected allegations linked to an objectionable video cited by the Akal Takht, calling it false propaganda. He said the person in the video is not him and accused religious bodies of political influence
Chandigarh: A day after the Sikh clergy declared him ‘Guru Dokhi’ (anti-Guru) and ‘Khalsa Panth virodhi’ (anti-Khalsa Panth) over an objectionable video, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the person in the video was not him.
In a video message, the Chief Minister expressed surprise over the top brass of religious bodies “indulging in false propaganda at the behest of their political bosses” to defame him.
The matter stems from the summoning of Mann by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, in January this year for allegedly making comments on ‘Guru ki Golak’ (gurdwara donation box) and indulging in “objectionable activities” with the pictures of Sikh Gurus and slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in a video clip.
In his video message on Tuesday, Mann said a ‘hukamnama’ (edict) had been issued against him over the video, claiming that it featured him and that it was not AI-generated.
“I completely reject this video,” he said.
Mann said when he was summoned to the Akal Takht earlier, he had said that it was not him in the purported video.
“The person seen in the video does not match my height and physique,” he said.
“But I am surprised at how the people sitting at the highest position of religious bodies are indulging in such false propaganda at the behest of their political bosses,” Mann said, alluding to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, who pronounced the edict against the CM on Monday.
“They are indulging in mudslinging to defame me because I am taking decisions for the protection of water, ‘gurbani’, farming and the youth, which they cannot tolerate at all,” said Mann.
He said religion was being used to defame him.
Mann said he considered the Akal Takht the supreme body and had always been committed to it.
Questioning the appointment of the Akal Takht Jathedar, Mann said, “The political appointments that have taken place there, the Sikh Sangat knows very well about the kind of decisions being taken there.”
He said it was completely wrong that attempts were being made to defame him.
“Punjab lives in my heartbeat and I am working day and night for Punjab,” he said.
Mann said the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee were earlier asking why an anti-sacrilege law had not been framed.
“When the law was enacted, they said why it was enacted without consulting them and refused to accept it. It proves that they change decisions every day,” he said, referring to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026.
The Act proposes stricter punishment, including life imprisonment for any act of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
Mann claimed that the Akal Takht had no intention of taking action against those who “admitted” to sacrilege and firing incidents before it on December 2, 2024, and was only doing propaganda against him, he alleged.
On December 2, 2024, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had appeared before the Akal Takht when the Sikh clergy pronounced ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) for him and other leaders for the “mistakes” committed by the party and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
The CM said the final decision will be taken by the people. “I will continue to take decisions for Punjab,” he said.
Akal Takht Jathedar Gargajj pronounced the edict against Mann from the ‘faseel’ (podium of the Akal Takht) on Monday in Amritsar, accusing the CM of lying about the purported objectionable video that hurt Sikh sentiments.
The edict came after Gargajj claimed that the video circulating on social media was found to be “authentic” by two forensic laboratories. The video was neither tampered with nor AI-generated, Gargajj said.
The Sikh clergy also summoned all Sikh MLAs, regardless of party affiliation, from the state and the Punjab Cabinet before the Akal Takht on June 29 in connection with the anti-sacrilege law.
