Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Declared Anti-Khalsa by Sikh Clergy Over Video
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was declared 'Guru Dokhi' and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' by the Akal Takht on June 15, 2026, over an alleged objectionable video deemed authentic by forensic labs. Mann denies the video depicts him, claims political conspiracy, and refuses the edict. The controversy has sparked political backlash, with opposition parties demanding Mann’s resignation and a CBI probe, while AAP accuses the Akal Takht of politicization.
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
All Sikh MLAs and Ministers to Appear Before Akal Takht on June 29: Punjab CM Mann
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on June 28, 2026, that all Sikh MLAs and Sikh cabinet ministers will appear before the Akal Takht in Amritsar on June 29, following a summons issued on June 15 by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj. The summons relate to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, an anti-sacrilege law opposed by the Akal Takht and SGPC for being enacted without consulting the Sikh Panth. Non-Sikh ministers were asked to submit written views. Mann stated he will not appear personally but will submit his views in writing, and reiterated he is not the person in a controversial video that led the Sikh clergy to declare him 'Guru Dokhi' (anti-Guru) and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' (anti-Khalsa) on June 15. The matter stems from a January summons over alleged comments on 'Guru ki Golak' and objectionable activities in a video clip, which Mann claims shows a person wearing a mask resembling his face.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's Fake Video Controversy Explained
A video allegedly showing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in a sacrilegious act emerged in October 2025, sparking a major political and religious controversy in the state. Punjab police registered a case against Canada-based NRI Jagmandeep Singh, alias Jagman Samra, and took down his social media account. The Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal authority, summoned Mr. Mann in January 2026 to address the matter. The Chief Minister has denied the authenticity of the video, asserting the person depicted is not him. The controversy poses challenges for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, as it intertwines political credibility with sensitive religious sentiments.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Punjab Chief Minister Mann denies he is in controversial video
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on June 25, 2026, denied being in an objectionable video that has sparked a major political and religious controversy. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Mann reiterated that the person in the clip is wearing a mask resembling his face, and accused opposition parties (Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and BJP) of colluding to defame him on religious grounds. He claimed a Canada-based individual named Jagman Samra created the video using a mask. Mann noted a neck mark visible on him is absent on the person in the video. The controversy escalated after the Akal Takht, Sikhism's supreme temporal body, issued an edict against Mann on June 15, citing forensic lab reports that the video was authentic. Haryana Police arrested two men on June 23 regarding a fabricated forensic report. Opposition parties have demanded Mann's resignation.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.AAP Under Fire Over Sacrilege Video Row Involving CM Bhagwant Mann
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faces mounting political and religious pressure over a video allegedly showing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann committing sacrilege. The Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, has declared Mann 'Guru Dokhi' (betrayer of the Guru) and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' after pronouncing the video authentic. Opposition parties—Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and BJP—are demanding a CBI investigation and Mann's resignation. Mann claims the video is a fabricated propaganda tool created by his political opponents. The controversy has escalated ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with the SGPC also ordering posters calling for a boycott of Mann. Haryana Police have arrested two men in connection with alleged forgery of forensic reports related to the video.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.BJP Demands Arrest of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Over Alleged Insulting Video
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the arrest of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing him of insulting Sikhs and the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, over an objectionable video. BJP leader and Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged a conspiracy to forge forensic and cyber-analysis reports that gave Mann a clean chit, claiming Punjab police officials were involved and ₹10 lakh was paid. The demand follows the arrest of two people in Gurugram for allegedly forging these reports. The Akal Takht had earlier declared the video 'anti-Guru'. Mann denies being the person in the video, calling it a malicious and politically motivated conspiracy by Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal to defame him.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Akal Takht releases video of Punjab CM Mann's appearance over objectionable video
On June 20, 2026, the Akal Takht released a video of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's January 15, 2026 appearance before the supreme Sikh temporal seat. The video relates to an alleged objectionable clip showing Mann making comments on 'Guru ki Golak' and interacting with images of Sikh Gurus and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Mann told the Akal Takht the video is 'completely fake' and likely AI-generated, calling it 'false propaganda.' He agreed to forensic examination and offered to provide lab addresses, but the Akal Takht stated he has not done so as of June 20. On June 15, the Akal Takht declared Mann 'Guru Dokhi' and 'Khalsa Panth virodhi' over the video, and opposition parties have demanded his resignation.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Bhagwant Mann Denies Akal Takht Edict Video, Alleges Political Conspiracy
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann released a video message on June 16, 2026, rejecting an edict issued against him by the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal authority. The Sikh clergy had declared him 'Guru Dokhi' and 'Khalsa Panth virodhi' after concluding that an objectionable video circulating on social media was authentic and not AI-generated. Mann claimed the person in the video was not him, citing differences in height and physique. He accused Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj of engaging in 'false propaganda' at the behest of political bosses to defame him for his decisions on water, farming, youth, and gurdwara donation box issues. Mann questioned the political nature of appointments at the Akal Takht and referenced the recently enacted Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, which imposes stricter punishment for sacrilege. The edict follows Mann's earlier summons to the Akal Takht in January 2026 over similar allegations.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Sikh clergy declares Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann anti-Khalsa over objectionable video
The Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as 'Guru Dokhi' and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' (hostile to the Guru and opposed to the Khalsa Panth) on June 15, 2026. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj announced the edict, claiming that a purported objectionable video of Mann was found authentic by two forensic laboratories, contradicting Mann's earlier claim that it was fake or AI-generated. The clergy also summoned all Sikh MLAs and the Punjab Cabinet to appear before the Akal Takht on June 29 regarding the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, an anti-sacrilege law passed without consulting the Sikh Panth. The AAP responded by questioning the clarity of the lab reports and accusing the Jathedar of becoming political.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.