Punjab Chief Minister Mann denies he is in controversial video
Facing mounting criticism from the opposition over a controversial video, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday (June 25, 2026) reiterated that he was not
Facing mounting criticism from the opposition over a controversial video, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday (June 25, 2026) reiterated that he was not in that video and claimed that the person seen in the objectionable clip was wearing a mask resembling his face. Also read | AAP under fire over CM sacrilege video row The Chief Minister again accused the opposition parties — the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP — of joining hands to defame him on religious issues. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Mr. Mann showed a video, claiming that the person seen in the video was wearing a mask that resembled his face. He further said that a mark on his neck was also not visible on that man in the video, stressing that he was not in the purported video.
The Chief Minister claimed that a Canada-based person, whom he identified as Jagman Samra and called a "blackmailer", brought a mask. Mann also showed another video, claiming that Mr. Samra was holding that mask, which looks like Mr. Mann's face. "This blackmailer, who is holding this mask in his hand, put it on some other person and made a video," he claimed. Mann claimed that the video was made in a hotel room in Canada, adding that he has not visited that country since November 2016. "I have been saying that I am not in that video as the person seen in the video clip does not match his height and physique," he said. Mann said he will reveal who is the producer and the director of the video in the coming days.
As the video row intensified, Mr. Mann on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) had accused the opposition parties of joining hands to defame him through religious issues and refuted allegations that the forensic report that absolved him was fabricated. The Haryana Police on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) arrested two men on a complaint regarding the alleged procurement of a fabricated forensic report related to a viral video linked to the controversy involving him. The development came amid a political storm triggered by an alleged objectionable video over which the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs, had issued an edict against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on June 15. The edict came after Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj claimed that the video, purportedly showing a man resembling Mr. Mann, was found to be "authentic" by two forensic laboratories.
The matter stems from the summoning of Mr. Mann by the Akal Takht 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. On the other hand, opposition parties stepped up their attack on Mr. Mann, demanding his resignation as well as giving a call for his social boycott, alleging that the Chief Minister tried to undermine the authority of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs. The Congress and the BJP also demanded the registration of an FIR against him under the new anti-sacrilege law.
The BriefWire