Congress MP Gurjeet Aujla and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal demand Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's resignation after the Akal Takht declared him 'guilty' over a video allegedly showing desecration, which Mann has dismissed as a fabricated AI video.
Aujla Demands CM's Resignation
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Friday demanded the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, claiming that the Akal Takht Sahib had declared him guilty in connection with a purported video allegedly showing the desecration of Sikh Guru photographs.
Speaking to ANI, Aujla said that Mann had appeared before the Akal Takht Sahib in January and claimed that the purported objectionable video was created using artificial intelligence. "The verdict declared Bhagwant Mann guilty. On January 15th, Bhagwant Mann appeared before the Akal Takht Sahib regarding the objectionable video and told the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib that the video was made by AI. After this, the Jathedar got it checked and gave the verdict on June 15th, and Bhagwant Mann was declared guilty," he said.
Demanding the Chief Minister's resignation, Aujla added, "No government is above the Takht, and I demand his resignation."
SAD Joins Calls for Resignation
On June 16, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed that the video showing the Chief Minister behaving in an objectionable manner was genuine and not AI-generated as previously claimed by Mann.
"A few months ago, a video surfaced on social media where the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, was seen behaving in a manner that committed sacrilege (be-adbi) against the Guru. I do not have words to describe the act he committed. When that video came out, there was a lot of anger within the entire Sikh community (Panth)," Badal alleged in a video message.
Claiming that the Akal Takht had now confirmed the video's authenticity, Badal said, "It is a matter of great shame that the Chief Minister of Punjab has acted in such a way and committed such a grave sacrilege against our Guru. I believe that a person who acts like this has no right to remain Chief Minister for even five minutes. I am at a loss for words to describe his conduct."
Badal further alleged that Mann had, on previous occasions, visited religious places while "under the influence of alcohol," and urged the Sikh community to take a firm stand on the matter. "On several occasions, this Chief Minister has visited Gurdwaras while under the influence of alcohol. People were outraged even then. But the act of (allegedly) splashing liquor on the images of the Guru is something no Sikh can ever tolerate. Therefore, I want to say that the Sikh community should take a very firm decision on this," he said.
CM Mann's Rebuttal
On January 15 this year, Mann, after being summoned, had appeared before the Secretariat of Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar. He was questioned by Sangh Sahib about the alleged viral video, but he maintained the video was fabricated. The Chief Minister had also proposed that the video be examined by a forensic laboratory.
Mann has "categorically and completely" rejected the authenticity of the viral video and alleged that it was part of an orchestrated attempt to malign his image. Mann said in a video message shared on X earlier. He has also expressed concern over the recent decree issued by the Akal Takht regarding the video and alleged that individuals occupying "high religious positions" were spreading misinformation at the behest of political interests. (ANI)
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