India
-Oneindia Staff
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has rejected allegations linked to a controversial video, saying two independent forensic reports found no match between him and the person seen in the clip. Addressing Punjabis in India and abroad through a video message on Thursday, Mann called the video a politically motivated attempt to damage his public image and religious standing.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann rejected allegations linking him to a controversial video, citing two independent forensic reports that found no match and ordering a police probe into the clip’s creation and circulation.
The Chief Minister said 1,191 frames from the video were examined by laboratories outside Punjab. According to him, the reports found that none of the frames matched his face, side profile, front profile, eyes, height, physique or body structure. Mann also said the person in the video was assessed to be around two inches taller than him.
Mann says fake video was made to malign him
Mann described the episode as a planned campaign by political opponents who, he said, were unable to accept the public support for his government. He claimed the video was created by using another person to resemble him, including through appearance and hairstyle, and then circulated to link him to the clip.
“Someone is acting like me, imitating me, styling his hair like mine and trying to resemble me,” Mann said in the message. He argued that the issue was being used for “open political propaganda” and not for any genuine religious or moral concern.
The Chief Minister said he had instructed the Punjab Director General of Police to identify those involved in creating, financing and circulating the video. He said the probe should establish where the video was shot, who arranged it, who funded it and who helped spread it, even if those involved were outside India.
Mann said those responsible should be brought before the Sangat, adding that the final moral judgement would rest with the Nanak Naam Leva Sangat. He also said Sri Akal Takht Sahib remained supreme and that his head bowed before it, but questioned the manner in which political messaging was being attached to the controversy.
Chief Minister links row to Punjab politics
In the video message, Mann repeatedly connected the controversy to the political climate in Punjab. He said some parties and individuals were using religion as a shield to recover lost political ground. He appealed to Punjabis not to fall prey to what he described as a conspiracy built around faith and public sentiment.
The Chief Minister also criticised the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee leadership. Referring to the SGPC president, Mann said a person holding such a position should identify as a servant of Guru Sahib rather than as a loyalist of any political leader. He said this reflected the political nature of the campaign against him.
Mann also targeted opposition parties, saying they had joined hands against him. He specifically referred to the Congress and said history still remembered the attack on Sri Akal Takht Sahib. He said rival parties may unite against him, but he would not worry as long as people remained with him.
The Chief Minister said what hurt him was that the accusations were being made despite what he described as his work for Sikh institutions, religious causes and Punjab’s interests. He said he had always respected Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Sangat, and could not think of acting against them.
Forensic reports and the claims made by CM Mann
Mann said the two reports were not from Punjab-based laboratories and were related to the same video. He said they analysed both the person seen in the clip and the surroundings visible in it, including the room and table. He added that he had earlier told Sri Akal Takht Sahib that he was not present in the video.
“Whether it is AI or not is a separate matter. When I am not even present in the video, that itself settles the matter,” Mann said. His remarks suggest the government may treat the controversy as both a political matter and a criminal act, depending on what the police inquiry finds.
The Chief Minister did not name the laboratories in the message quoted in the government’s account. He also did not give details of when or where the disputed video was first recorded or circulated. He said that uncertainty itself raised questions over the intent behind the campaign.
Mann lists religious and governance decisions
Mann used the address to highlight decisions taken by him as Member of Parliament and later as Chief Minister. He said he had raised the sacrifice of the Chhote Sahibzadas in Parliament, where a tribute and moment of silence were observed. He described it as a service entrusted to him by Guru Sahib.
He also referred to the Punjab government’s decision to waive motor vehicle tax on vehicles used for carrying Palki Sahib and specially designed vehicles used for the Parkash of religious scriptures of different faiths. Mann said the exemption was linked to Nagar Kirtans and religious events promoting communal harmony.
The Chief Minister cited arrangements made during the 350th Shaheedi Diwas celebrations of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. He also mentioned the special Assembly session held at Anandpur Sahib and the decision to accord holy city status to Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo, which are associated with key Sikh Takhts.
Mann further pointed to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, saying the law strengthened action against sacrilege. He said people had appreciated the measure and told him it had brought peace to their hearts.
The Chief Minister also listed welfare and governance initiatives of his government, including free electricity for 90 per cent of households, more than 67,000 jobs, Aam Aadmi Clinics, Schools of Eminence, road improvements and closure of toll plazas. He said canal water use for irrigation had risen sharply, reaching tail-end fields after decades.
Mann ended his message by appealing to Punjabis across the world to remain alert against politically driven campaigns. He said every moment of his public life was devoted to Punjab and its people. The next significant step will depend on the police investigation ordered into the creation and circulation of the disputed video.
