'They Are Trying To Create Hatred Against Me, But Won't Succeed': Bhagwant Mann Amid Video Row

Last Updated:June 25, 2026, 15:01 IST

Referring to his appearance before the Akal Takht in the past, Mann said he would do so again if summoned.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday alleged that fake videos featuring him were being circulated to tarnish his image and claimed that religious edicts, or hukamnamas, were being used for political gains.

“They are trying to create hatred against me in people’s minds, but they won’t succeed," Mann said while addressing a press conference amid the controversy surrounding a purported viral video allegedly showing him consuming alcohol and sprinkling it on religious images.

Claiming there was an attempt to defame him on religious grounds, Mann said such orders were issued regularly with the intention of maligning him. “However, it is our government that has done the most work," he said.

The Punjab Chief Minister also questioned the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over boards reportedly put up outside gurdwaras against him.

“I want to ask the SGPC why they are putting up boards against me outside gurdwaras. Why were such boards not put up during Sukhbir Badal’s time?" Mann asked, adding that the SGPC president had himself described himself as “a soldier of Sukhbir Badal".

Referring to his appearance before the Akal Takht in the past, Mann said he would do so again if summoned. “I had gone to the Akal Takht Sahib then, and if I am called today, I will go again," he said.

Mann also claimed that he had earlier requested that the proceedings be broadcast live, but this was not done. “Now they are releasing clips," he remarked.

Targeting opposition parties, the Chief Minister alleged that they had joined hands against him. “The entire opposition has come together.

The Congress is holding a press conference tomorrow and calling for a boycott. Even those who brought down the Akal Takht Sahib and fired cannons at it. And now the Shiromani Akali Dal, on whom allegations of sacrilege have been made, is also joining in," he said.

Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party have maintained that the viral clip is doctored and that the person seen in it is not the Punjab Chief Minister.

Earlier in the day, Gurugram Police told CNN-News18 that the two forensic laboratories named in reports supporting claims that the video was manipulated were found to be fake and had no physical existence.

Seeking to rebut claims that he was the person seen in the clip, Mann said the individual in the video was wearing a mask. “I have a scar on my neck. I had surgery when I was a child. That scar cannot be seen on the man in the video," he said while showing the footage.

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Anushka Vats

Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can ...Read More

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