Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has for the first time addressed the controversy surrounding a viral video of him allegedly making objectionable remarks. Dismissing the clip as fabricated, Mann has asserted that the video is fake and was possibly generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking to the media after appearing before the Sri Akal Takht Sahib this morning, the highest temporal seat for Sikhs, Mann said he has conveyed to the officiating Jathedar, Singh Sahib, that the video could be subjected to forensic examination.
"It can be examined by any forensic lab in the state or anywhere in the country," said the Chief Minister, adding that he had nothing to hide and welcomed a thorough probe to establish the truth.
Mann also stated that he had submitted written explanations regarding his statements and complaints to the officiating Jathedar.
According to him, Singh Sahib has assured him that the evidence provided to them would be examined in detail. Emphasising his personal faith, Mann said that he has approached the matter not as a political leader but as a devout Sikh.
"I went there as a humble Sikh and carried complaints received from the people," the Chief Minister said, revealing that he has submitted nearly 25,000 pages of complaints and supporting evidence relating to the issue of missing saroops (copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib.
The Akal Takht had summoned him after his government registered a police case over alleged discrepancies in the printing and distribution of 328 copies of the Guru Granth Sahib. Employees of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the body that runs and manages Sikh historical gurudwaras, were named in the case.
The Chief Minister strongly denied allegations that the move to investigate the missing saroops case was politically motivated. He has reiterated multiple times that there was no politics in play and that the government's intention was to address public concerns with sincerity and transparency.
Mann also made it clear that he had no intention of challenging religious authority.
"I am not here to challenge Akal Takht," he said. "I am no one to challenge Akal Takht."
