Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday, 24 June rejected allegations of 'sacrilegious conduct' levelled against him by political opponents, asserting that the accusations were part of a coordinated 'dirty politics' campaign designed to damage his reputation. Mann made his position clear through a video message posted on X, calling the controversy a deliberate political weapon.

What Mann Said in His Defence

'When they have nothing else to control, they use religion to defame me,' Mann said, maintaining that the purported video allegedly showing desecration of Sikh gurus' photos was fabricated. He stated that neither his physical appearance nor his posture matched the individual in the video, and claimed the footage had been tested in forensic laboratories that confirmed it was fake.

Mann alleged a three-way nexus among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiromani Akali Dal, and the Indian National Congress, accusing all three of using religion as a political instrument against him. 'By the fear of an FIR and torture, they are making the lab owners say that we took the money for a fake report,' he said, questioning why the forensic lab engaged by the opposition should be considered credible while the one he commissioned was not.

The Forensic Report Controversy

Haryana Police has registered an FIR in Gurugram in connection with the viral video case, and investigators are probing an alleged ₹10 lakh-for-report deal. Two individuals have been arrested on charges of coercing a 'tailored' forensic analysis linked to the video.

The case surfaced after Jaspreet Singh, who was reportedly approached to prepare a forensic review, filed a complaint alleging that two senior Punjab Police officers offered him ₹10 lakh to declare the video fake and AI-generated. The arrests and the complaint have significantly widened the scope of the controversy beyond the original sacrilege allegation.

Akal Takht's Edict Against Mann

The Sikh clergy had earlier declared Mann 'Guru Dokhi' (anti-Guru) and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' (anti-community) on 15 June. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj pronounced the edict from the 'faseel' — the Akal Takht podium — following a clergy meeting in Amritsar.

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh authority, has also summoned all Sikh legislators across party lines and cabinet ministers to appear before it on 29 June, in connection with an anti-sacrilege law recently passed by the Punjab legislature. The summons adds institutional weight to what had begun as a political controversy.

What Happens Next

Mann indicated he would continue his governance agenda regardless of the controversy. 'I will keep my pace for electricity, houses, hospitals and jobs the same,' he said, signalling that he does not intend to step back from his administrative role. The 29 June Akal Takht hearing and the ongoing Haryana Police investigation are the two immediate flashpoints that will shape how this crisis unfolds for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab.