Akal Takht Declares Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann 'Anti-Guru' Over Viral Video Row

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, has officially declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann a 'Guru Dokhi' (betrayer of the Guru) and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' (anti-Khalsa Panth). This development follows the emergence of a viral video allegedly showing an individual resembling the Chief Minister consuming and sprinkling alcohol on portraits of Sikh Gurus. The Sikh clergy has directed the community to sever ties with the Chief Minister and has summoned all Sikh MLAs and Cabinet members to appear before the seat on June 29.

The Chief Minister has categorically denied being the person in the footage, describing the allegations as a politically motivated conspiracy orchestrated by opposition parties to malign his reputation. While the Akal Takht claims to have vetted the video through two central government-recognized forensic laboratories—both concluding it is genuine rather than AI-generated—the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has challenged these findings. AAP leaders argue that the forensic reports fail to definitively identify the individual, questioning the physical match to the Chief Minister.

The declaration has triggered a major political crisis in Punjab, with opposition parties, including the Congress and the BJP, demanding the Chief Minister's immediate resignation on moral grounds. The controversy extends to the state's legislative agenda, as the Akal Takht has also criticized the government's handling of the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. With political tensions rising, the upcoming appearance of legislative members before the clergy remains a critical point of national and regional interest.