Key facts
- Sikh clergy declared Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann 'Guru Dokhi' and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' over an objectionable video.
- Mann was summoned by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.
- Mann denied being in the video, stating the person shown was not him.
- He accused religious bodies of spreading false propaganda at the behest of political bosses.
- The Akal Takht Jathedar stated the video was found to be authentic by forensic laboratories.
Sikh clergy have declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann 'Guru Dokhi' (anti-Guru) and 'Khalsa Panth virodhi' (anti-Khalsa Panth) over an objectionable video, summoning him and the Punjab Cabinet on June 29.
In response, Mann stated that the person in the video was not him and accused the top religious bodies of engaging in false propaganda at the behest of their political bosses to defame him. He expressed surprise at the religious leaders' actions and suggested that religion was being used to tarnish his image.
The controversy stems from a video clip that allegedly shows Mann making comments about the 'gurdwara donation box' and displaying objectionable content with images of Sikh Gurus and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Mann had previously stated that the person in the video did not match his height and physique.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj pronounced the edict against Mann, asserting that the video circulating on social media was found to be authentic by two forensic laboratories and was neither tampered with nor AI-generated. The clergy also summoned all Sikh MLAs and the Punjab Cabinet in connection with an anti-sacrilege law.