Analysed from ‘1191 angles’, not me in video, says Mann

Chandigarh: Three days after the Akal Takht declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann a ‘Guru Dokhi’ (anti-Guru) and ‘Khalsa Panth Virodhi’ (anti-Khalsa beliefs) over a controversial video allegedly showing him disrespecting images of Sikh gurus, the chief minister hit back Thursday, claiming that forensic tests had established that it wasn’t him in the footage. In fact, he alleged that the entire episode was part of a political conspiracy aimed at maligning him.

In a video message issued Thursday evening, Mann said his government had got the video examined by two separate laboratories and that the footage had been analysed from “1191 different angles”.

The Akal Takht had claimed the video showed Mann sprinkling liquor on symbolic images of the ten Sikh Gurus and on a photograph of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Claiming that the individual seen in the footage had a different build, the chief minister said the video was part of a deliberate attempt to damage his political reputation. He added that the video had been created with the sole purpose of maligning his image.

Mann said that while the footage itself may not necessarily be AI-generated, it could have been created using a person hired to impersonate him. “It is possible that somebody paid a person resembling me and used him to create this video in order to defame me and damage me politically,” he said.

The Akal Takht, however, maintains that the video is genuine.

“I have complete respect for the Akal Takht Sahib. But the people appointed there are political appointees and they are acting at the behest of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal,” Mann alleged.

‘Reeks of a political motive’

Mann also announced that he would ask state DGP Gaurav Yadav to investigate the origin of the video. “The truth must come out. Who got this video made? On whose instructions was it prepared? Who paid for it? Who is the person acting in the video? All these questions must be answered,” he said.

Seeking to rebut allegations that he had acted against Sikh sentiments, Mann listed several initiatives undertaken by his government relating to Sikh religious issues.

He said he had been among the first political leaders to raise the issue of officially commemorating the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh. He also referred to the Punjab government’s decision to exempt vehicles carrying Sri Guru Granth Sahib from taxation and to the enactment of what he described as one of the strongest anti-sacrilege laws in the country.

“I am a secular person and I respect all religions equally. But no one can question my commitment towards Sikhism and towards protecting the honour of Sri Guru Granth Sahib,” he said.

Referring to the Akal Takht’s direction asking members of the Sikh community not to associate with him, Mann said people were capable of making their own decisions.

“If any wrong order has been passed, people are wise enough to understand and decide for themselves,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also addressed a press conference where he referred to reports obtained by the government which, according to the AAP leadership, concluded that the individual appearing in the controversial footage was not the chief minister. “These reports are from independent laboratories which are recognised by the government of India and these labs are not in Punjab,” said Cheema.

The government’s response came three days after the Akal Takht issued a resolution following a meeting of the five Singh Sahibans at Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar.

The Sikh clergy’s resolution stated that forensic examinations conducted by two Government of India-recognised laboratories had found the video to be authentic and showed no evidence of tampering or AI-generated manipulation.

The Akal Takht resolution further stated that the video depicted Mann sprinkling liquor on symbolic images of the ten Sikh Gurus and on a photograph of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and described the actions as unacceptable to the Guru Khalsa Panth.

On Thursday, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal sharpened his attack on the chief minister, alleging that Mann’s changing explanations and the entire timeline of events regarding the video raised serious questions.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Badal said the sequence of events suggested that the chief minister had “something major to hide”.

He recalled that when the controversy first surfaced, Mann had claimed before the Akal Takht and later before the media that the video was AI-generated and had publicly stated that it could be examined by any forensic laboratory.

“The chief minister himself said that any laboratory could examine the video and whatever report came would be acceptable to him,” Badal said.

Badal said that the Akal Takht subsequently wrote to the chief minister twice asking him to suggest laboratories where the footage could be examined. “He did not even have the courtesy to reply. It was only thereafter that the Akal Takht got the video examined independently and the reports concluded that the footage was genuine.”

Badal questioned why Mann was now arguing that the person appearing in the footage was somebody else. The SAD president referred to an FIR registered by Punjab Police’s cyber crime wing in Mohali against Canada-based activist Jagman Samra, who had allegedly first circulated the video.

Badal alleged that the government had hurriedly procured reports favourable to the chief minister after the Akal Takht’s findings against him.

He claimed that a senior Punjab Police officer had been sent to Gurugram over the past two days to obtain such reports. The SAD leader said he had personally contacted the officer regarding his whereabouts and was told that he was in Gurugram, though the officer reportedly maintained that he was there in connection with another cybercrime investigation.

Calling the issue an extremely serious one, concerning the honour of Sikh gurus and the Khalsa Panth, Badal appealed to all political parties, Sikh organisations, Sant Samaj groups and Sikh sampradas to unite on the matter.

“This is not a political issue. This is about protecting the honour of the Guru and the Khalsa Panth,” he said.

The SAD president also appealed to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to remove Mann from the post of chief minister.

Warning of a larger agitation, Badal announced that the party would wait for one month for action from the AAP leadership. “If Arvind Kejriwal does not act against Mann within one month, the Shiromani Akali Dal will launch a Dharam Yudh Morcha,” he said.

Drawing a parallel with the origins of the Akali movement, Badal said the original Dharam Yudh movement had been launched nearly a century ago to protect the sanctity of Sikh gurdwaras and institutions. “Just as our predecessors fought to save the honour of the gurdwaras and the Guru, we will now fight to protect the honour of the Sikh Gurus and the Khalsa Panth,” he said.

Badal also announced the formation of a committee under senior Akali leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder to coordinate with political parties, religious organisations, Sant Samaj groups and Sikh institutions for joint action.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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Also read: What Akal Takht declaring Bhagwant Mann ‘anti-Guru’ means for him & AAP in the sole state it rules

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