BJP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha on Thursday, 25 June demanded the immediate resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and called for an FIR against him under the Anti-Sacrilege Law, following a deepening controversy over an alleged objectionable video involving Sikh religious imagery. Chadha made the demands while speaking to reporters in New Delhi, asserting that attempts to suppress the video through a forensic report had now been exposed.

What Chadha Alleged

Chadha claimed that doubts over whether the viral video was authentic or artificially generated have been put to rest, and he argued that the Punjab government's own conduct proves the footage is genuine. 'If the video was not real, there would have been no need for Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party to commission a fabricated forensic report to hide it,' he alleged.

He further demanded a thorough probe into the procurement of the alleged forensic report, including which officers were involved and whether money laundering played any role. 'Everything is now under the scanner and must be investigated,' Chadha said.

Akal Takht's Stance and the Religious Dimension

The controversy has drawn in one of Sikhism's highest religious authorities. The Akal Takht had recently declared Bhagwant Mann 'anti-Sikh' in connection with the matter, significantly raising the political and religious stakes. Chadha accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of having 'challenged Akal Takht Sahib' and running paid social media campaigns against the institution, claims the AAP government has not publicly addressed in detail.

Chadha also put pressure on Sikh legislators within the ruling party, asking them to choose between their faith and their Chief Minister. 'I want to ask all Sikh MLAs whether they have faith in Sikh principles or whether they are standing with Bhagwant Mann,' he said.

The Forensic Report Controversy

The Punjab government had earlier presented a forensic report asserting that the video was doctored and that the person in the footage was not the Chief Minister, framing the clip as part of a campaign to malign him. However, the case took a significant turn when Gurugram Police registered a case and arrested individuals allegedly involved in forging that very forensic report. Investigators have claimed a wider conspiracy to manipulate digital evidence has been uncovered.

What Happens Next

Political tension in Punjab is unlikely to ease in the near term. The BJP's demand for an FIR under the Anti-Sacrilege Law — a statute that carries serious legal weight in Punjab — puts the state government under fresh pressure. With the Akal Takht's declaration still standing and arrests made in the forensic forgery case, the controversy has moved well beyond a political dispute into the domain of law enforcement and religious authority. How the AAP government responds to the Gurugram Police findings is expected to be the next flashpoint.