Amritsar: The Akal Takht has declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ‘anti-Guru’ and asked the ‘panth’ (the Sikh community), to have nothing to do with him.
Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs that was established in 1606 by Guru Hargobind, had summoned Mann over his alleged objectionable remarks about Sikh devotees. Mann, who appeared before Akal Takht on January 15, was also questioned the about a video in which a person resembling the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was seen sprinkling alcohol on images of Sikh gurus.
Mann had denied the accusation, saying that the video was AI-generated.
On Monday, it came to light that the video was found to be genuine through forensic tests. The AAP then contended that the tests had not revealed whether the person in the video was, indeed, Mann.
A meeting of the five Singh Sahibs (high priests) was held after which Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj announced the verdict.
“We questioned the chief minister regarding the video and he claimed i
t was AI-generated. We asked him to give us proof of this but received no response for six months. We then had the video examined by two laboratories recognised by the Government of India, which revealed that the video is neither fake nor AI-generated. Today, the ‘panth’ took action and reached a decision on this matter,” Gargaj stated.
The Jathedar further said that Mann had lied while at the Akal Takht, and has been declared guilty before the Guru or ‘anti-Guru’.
“Sikhs have no expectations from the chief minister, and the ‘panth’ and followers of the Guru should have nothing to do with him,” Gargaj announced.
Entire Punjab cabinet in trouble?
Mann apart, his entire cabinet could be in trouble for enacting a legislation without consulting anyone.
The Akal Takht has summoned the Punjab cabinet to appear before it on June 29 over passage of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which prescribed punishment up to life imprisonment for acts of sacrilege against the Sikh holy book.
“It is intolerable for anyone to challenge the Guru’s throne. Recently, the Punjab government introduced an Act without consulting the Sikh community, institutions, or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government acted obstinately, securing approval from the Legislative Assembly and the Governor. This law will cause a rift within the ‘panth’. The government has no authority to enact legislation concerning the ‘panth’,” Gargaj said.
With Punjab Assembly elections due early next year, this could be a significant development for AAP, the ruling party.