‘Neither my height nor my body build matches’: Mann on viral video after Akal Takht rejects AI…
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann disputes the authenticity of a viral video, asserting it is a synthetic deepfake while religious authorities maintain it is genuine
- Incident date
- Jun 2026
- Target
- Bhagwant Mann
On June 16, 2026, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressed a controversy surrounding a viral video circulating on social media. The incident involved an escalating confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Sikh clergy, specifically following a pronouncement by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj.
What happened
A controversial video featuring an individual alleged to be Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann began circulating on social media, prompting a formal declaration from the Akal Takht Jathedar naming the Chief Minister an enemy of the Sikh Panth. The Jathedar asserted that the video was genuine and rejected claims that it had been generated using artificial intelligence.
In a subsequent video message, Mann categorically denied that he was the person depicted in the footage. He argued that the physical characteristics of the individual in the video, specifically their height and body build, did not match his own. Mann characterized the video as a vile and despicable act, alleging it was a deliberate propaganda campaign orchestrated by his political opponents to undermine his administration. He connected the timing of the video's release to the recent enactment of anti-sacrilege legislation by his government, claiming the popularity of the new law had unsettled his political rivals. While Mann reiterated his reverence for the Akal Takht as a supreme institution, he maintained that the accusations against him were politically motivated and urged the public to disregard the content of the viral video.