Hans News Service Chandigarh

A day after the Sikh clergy declared him ‘Guru Dokhi’ (anti-Guru) and ‘Khalsa Panth virodhi’ (anti-Khalsa Panth) over an “objectionable” video, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday rejected it, saying the person in the video was not him.

In a video message, the chief minister expressed surprise over the people occupying the highest positions of religious bodies “indulging in false propaganda at the behest of their political bosses” to defame him.

In a post on X, Mann said, “The president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has openly become a propagandist for the Akali Dal.

“The only thing left now is to get a directive issued through the Jathedar Sahib saying, ‘Vote for Sukhbir Badal, otherwise the ‘Panth’ is in danger.’ Such a decision could be taken at any time,” he said. The matter stems from the summoning of Mann by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, in January this year for allegedly making comments on ‘Guru ki Golak’ (gurdwara donation box) and indulging in “objectionable activities” with the pictures of the Sikh Gurus and slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in a purported video clip.

In his video message on Tuesday, Mann said a ‘hukamnama’ (edict) had been issued against him over the video, claiming that it featured him and that it was not AI-generated. “I completely reject this video,” he said.

Mann said when he was summoned to the Akal Takht earlier, he had said that it was not him in the purported video. “The person seen in the video does not match my height and physique,” he said.

“But I am surprised at how the people sitting at the highest positions of religious bodies are indulging in such false propaganda at the behest of their political bosses,” Mann said, alluding to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, who pronounced the edict against the CM on Monday.

“They are indulging in mudslinging to defame me. Because I am taking decisions for safeguarding Punjab’s waters, youths, farmers and teachings of the Guru Sahiban,” he said.

He said religion was being used to defame him. “I have always considered Sri Akal Takht Sahib as the supreme temporal authority and bow before it with utmost humility and devotion. The very thought of challenging its authority is beyond imagination and I have never deviated from this belief. Neither I nor generations of my family can ever imagine challenging Sri Akal Takht Sahib,” he added.