The Akal Takht on Monday directed the Sikh community to ostracize Bhagwant Mann over a video that they said hurt Sikh sentiments, even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned the legitimacy of the clip that allegedly featured the Punjab chief minister.
The Sikh clergy declared Mann “Guru Dokhi” (anti-Guru) and “Khalsa Panth Virodhi” (anti-community), accusing him of lying regarding the objectionable video. They also summoned all Sikh legislators across the political parties and cabinet ministers before the Akal Takht — the highest temporal seat of Sikhs— on June 29 in connection with an anti-sacrilege law recently passed by the state legislature.
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj pronounced the edict from the ‘faseel’ (podium of the Akal Takht) after the ‘five Singh Sahiban’ (Sikh clergy) held a meeting in Amritsar. On January 4, a complaint was filed against Mann regarding a video which purportedly showed him making comments on the ‘Guru ki Golak’ (a gurdwara donation box) and disrespecting the pictures of the “Sikh Gurus” and slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
“When the CM was summoned to the Akal Takht on January 15 this year, he was questioned about the video. He (CM) stated that the video was fake and had been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Following this, the clergy directed him to suggest two forensic laboratories for the examination of the video,” Gargaj said, while reading out the resolution passed by the clergy.
He added that a formal letter was also sent to the CM on January 27 to suggest two forensic labs, but no response came from Mann or his office. “Thereafter, the Akal Takht secretariat got the video examined from two government-recognised labs.
According to the reports, there was no evidence of tampering of the video or the use of artificial intelligence,” Gargaj said.
“…the CM made false statements before Akal Takht Sahib regarding the video, raising concerns about his ability to make decisions in the interests of the Guru and the Sikh community. Representing the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat, the clergy declared Mann as anti-Guru and anti-Khalsa Panth. The Guru Khalsa Panth is directed not to associate with him,” the jathedar added.
The AAP, meanwhile, said the lab reports did not make it clear who the person was seen in the video. “The so-called forensic report being used to target CM Mann has failed to establish even the identity of the person seen in the video,” AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Singh Pannu told reporters after the jathedar declared the purported video “authentic”.
“Does the height of CM Mann match the height of the person visible in the footage? Which hotel room is it (where the video was shot)? The report has completely failed to establish who is actually visible in the video,” Pannu added.
The AAP leader also hit out at the jathedar and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, claiming that Gargaj has become political. He asserted that the Akal Takht is the ‘takht’ of the entire Sikh community. “It neither belongs to SAD chief Sukhbir Badal nor SAD,” Pannu added.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the chief minister should immediately resign if the video had been proven authentic through an investigation conducted by a reputed national forensic laboratory under the directions of the Akal Takht jathedar.
The SGPC president further said respecting the directives of Akal Takht was the duty of every Sikh and every individual associated with public life. He emphasised that the matter should be viewed on the principles of truth and accountability rather than being given any political colour. He added that in a democracy, individuals holding public office were expected to uphold high moral standards.