Bhagwant Mann defended himself with a “mask theory” at a press conference, but the video he presented was different from the one that triggered the Akal Takht’s action and the wider sacrilege row, prompting fresh attacks from the opposition.
As Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday defended himself by claiming that an impostor wearing a mask of his face had been used to make a fake video to defame him, the opposition raised a key question: the video shown by Mann at his press conference was not the same video that is at the centre of the controversy.
During the press conference, Mann played a video on a screen showing a man whom he claimed was an impostor wearing a mask resembling his face.
The Chief Minister pointed to certain marks near the man’s ears, claiming they indicated that he was wearing a mask.
Mann alleged that the video had been shot in a hotel in Canada using the mask. He also showed a clip of Canada-based Jagman Samra holding what he claimed was a mask of Mann’s face.
According to the Chief Minister, such masks were being used to create fake videos to defame him on a religious front. He further claimed that Jagman Samra had also made a similar mask of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
However, the video shown by Mann on Thursday was not the one at the centre of the controversy.
The controversy stems from another video that had gone viral, in which a man was allegedly seen sprinkling liquor on photographs of Sikh Gurus. Canada-based Jagman Samra had alleged that the person in the video was Bhagwant Mann, triggering a major political and religious controversy in Punjab.
As the controversy intensified, the Akal Takht Sahib took cognisance of the video and summoned Mann to the Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat on January 15.
During his appearance before the Akal Takht Jathedar, Mann reportedly said that the video was AI-generated.
However, on June 15, the Akal Takht Sahib released a forensic report stating that the video was not AI-generated but was original.
Following the report, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj directed the Sikh community to boycott Bhagwant Mann.
Amid mounting criticism over both the video and the Akal Takht’s directive, the Punjab government obtained a forensic report from Gurugram, which claimed that the man seen in the video was not Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Soon afterwards, Haryana Police arrested two persons after an complaint by Jaspreet Singh claimed that two Punjab Police officials had paid Rs 10 lakh to forensic experts to obtain a fabricated report.
Initially, Mann termed the Haryana Police action as politically motivated and blamed the BJP. On Thursday, however, he presented the “mask theory”, claiming that fake videos had been created using a mask resembling his face.
The opposition, however, pointed out that the video shown by Mann was different from the one on which the Akal Takht had acted.
Reacting to Mann’s claims, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said, “CM Mann is coming out with a different theory every day. Today he is talking about a mask. But the big thing is that the video he is showing is not the one in question. The video in question is the one in which liquor is allegedly being sprinkled on the photographs of the Gurus. CM Mann is lying every day.”
Majithia further questioned why the alleged mask theory did not feature in the forensic report obtained by the Punjab government from Gurugram if Mann’s claim was correct.
Canada-based Jagman Samra also rejected Mann’s claims. In a video message, he said, “CM Mann must prove the mask theory he is talking about today. Bring someone who can say they were asked to wear a mask of the CM. Can anyone show a bill for the mask? A lot of things will be said now, so not much heed should be paid. If there was a mask, then why was Rs 10 lakh allegedly paid to obtain a forensic report?”
Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira also questioned the Chief Minister’s claims, saying, “The CM has raised more questions by holding this press conference. Why is there no mention of the mask theory in the forensic report obtained by the Punjab government?”
The two videos are also visibly different.
The video at the centre of the controversy shows a man inside a room with photographs of Sikh Gurus on the wall. The man is seen allegedly sprinkling liquor on the photographs while a television is visible in the room.
