'Not me in viral video': Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann cites forensic review of 1,191 frames, alleges conspiracy

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has vigorously rejected the authenticity of a viral video central to a raging controversy, presenting two independent forensic reports that meticulously reviewed 1,191 frames and concluded the individual depicted is not him but a look-alike actor. This counter-narrative directly challenges the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of Sikhs, which had previously declared Mann 'Guru Dokhi' and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' based on its own forensic findings asserting the video's genuineness. Mann and his Aam Aadmi Party have now launched a full-frontal assault, alleging a 'well-planned conspiracy' by political rivals to tarnish his image and exploit religious sentiments. The escalating row intensifies the already volatile political landscape of Punjab, with state assembly elections potentially slated for late 2026. The conflicting forensic reports — one set commissioned by the Akal Takht claiming authenticity and another by the Punjab government pointing to fabrication and an actor with different physical characteristics — underscore a deepening institutional rift. This comes as the Akal Takht also summoned all Sikh MLAs and ministers from across party lines to appear before it on June 29 over the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, further intertwining religious authority with legislative action. In response, Chief Minister Mann has ordered the Director General of Police to initiate a thorough investigation to identify and prosecute those behind the alleged video fabrication and its circulation, vowing to bring the 'conspirators' to justice from 'any corner of the world.' The coming weeks will see the Punjab Police's probe unfold, alongside the political fallout within the Aam Aadmi Party as its Sikh legislators weigh their response to the Akal Takht summons. This high-stakes confrontation between state power and religious authority, set against the backdrop of looming elections, promises to reshape Punjab's political narrative.