New storm in Punjab: CM Mann under fire over purported video

A fresh political storm has engulfed Punjab after allegations surrounding a purported video involving Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann triggered sharp reactions from political parties and Sikh religious bodies, with the BJP intensifying demands for his resignation and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rejecting the allegations as politically motivated.

Leading the attack, Delhi Minister and BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa demanded action against the Punjab chief minister. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra and former Delhi Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely also slammed Mann for disrespecting Sikh maryada and then misleading the Sikh community and the country by allegedly getting a false report prepared through payment, and sought his resignation. The latest escalation followed action by Gurugram Police, which registered an FIR and arrested two men in connection with an alleged conspiracy to obtain favourable forensic reports linked to the video.

The case stems from a complaint by a Haryana-based forensic and cyber investigation professional who alleged that individuals claiming to represent senior Punjab Government officials attempted to influence forensic findings.

Amid the video row, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh rejected allegations that the forensic reports that gave a clean chit to him were fabricated and lashed out at the Opposition parties, alleging that they have joined hands to defame him.

In a video message, the AAP leader said that for the past several days, his fake videos were being released. “When they could not find anything, they tried to defame me on the religious front,” he said, targeting the Congress, the BJP and the Akali Dal. He reiterated his stance that it was not him in the purported objectionable video, claiming that the person who is seen in the clip does not match his height and physique. “By making that video viral, I was declared guilty,” he said.

Addressing a press conference, Sirsa alleged that Punjab Police officers and persons linked to a private forensic laboratory colluded to produce a report declaring the video fake in an attempt to undermine the authority of the Akal Takht.

Earlier this month, the Akal Takht declared Mann “guru dokhi” (anti-guru) and “Khalsa panth virodhi” (anti-Khalsa panth) over the video purportedly showing a man resembling him indulging in objectionable activities with pictures of Sikh gurus and slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Sirsa alleged that AAP leaders sought to discredit the findings of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs instead of expressing remorse. “Instead of repenting for this sin he committed, their minister Harpal Cheema held a press conference on June 18 and said that this video is fake,” Sirsa alleged. He claimed that Cheema had cited a forensic report based on the examination of 1,191 frames of the video and argued that it was not authentic. The BJP leader alleged that inquiries pointed to the involvement of Ludhiana Commissioner Swapan Sharma and SP Jashandeep Singh in getting the forensic reports changed.

Sirsa claimed that as the investigation progressed, it emerged that “Bhagwant Mann’s blue-eyed boy, Swapan Sharma, and SP Jashandeep Singh, through a person named Jaspreet Singh in Haryana, arranged a meeting at a hotel in Gurugram with a forensic laboratory”. “Money (Rs 10 lakh) was exchanged during the meeting, and the video was heavily edited to make it appear as if Bhagwant Mann was not present in it and that the video was fake,” he alleged.

Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra, along with Arvinder Singh Lovely, also addressed a press conference and said that a few months ago, a video surfaced in which Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Mann was allegedly seen disrespecting Sikh maryada.