Chandigarh:
Bhagwant Mann, facing political heat over an “objectionable” video purportedly showing him in an act that hurt Sikh religious sentiments, refuses to back down.
At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, the Punjab Chief Minister claimed that the viral video being circulated on social media is fabricated and was created using a mask to impersonate him as part of a political conspiracy.
Addressing the controversy, Mann said a close examination of the footage reveals clear signs of manipulation. According to him, the person seen in the video does not have the surgical scar on the neck that he has carried since a childhood operation, a mark he says is visible in his public appearances and older videos.
“The people who made the video forgot to recreate the scar,” Mann said, alleging that a mask was used to create the fake footage. He further claimed that when the video is slowed down and zoomed in, the mask can be seen around the neck area.
Opinion | Will Bhagwant Mann’s ‘Video’ Row Become A Larger Punjab Battle?
Mann welcomed any investigation into the clip, asserting that he is not the person in the video.
“His physical build does not match mine, as there is a two-inch height difference. Furthermore, his posture and gait do not align with my own,” Mann said.
ਅਹਿਮ ਪ੍ਰੈੱਸ ਕਾਨਫਰੰਸ, ਮੋਹਾਲੀ ਤੋਂ LIVE https://t.co/8wGIf5xmjG
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) June 25, 2026
The Chief Minister accused his political opponents of circulating the video to damage his image and gain political advantage. He also alleged that religious institutions and directives were being misused to amplify the controversy and target him.
The man in the viral video
Mann questioned why boycott posters were displayed outside gurdwaras against him while similar actions were never taken against Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The Akal Takht declared former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for mishandling the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case. Badal publicly underwent religious penance, which included cleaning toilets and washing utensils at the Golden Temple
Mann argued that his rivals – the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP – were attempting to tarnish his reputation through religious narratives because they were unable to challenge him politically.
Read: In Bhagwant Mann Video Row, A Battle Of Competing Narratives
The Chief Minister said the video would be subjected to further scrutiny and would also be sent to Sri Akal Takht Sahib for examination.
“Today, a mask has unmasked the faces of the opposition… I have been saying from the very beginning that I am not in this video… My head has always bowed before Sri Akal Takht Sahib and will continue to bow… My Master and the sensible people of Punjab are with me,” Mann posted on X today.
ਸਿਆਣਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਸ ਰੱਬ ਦੇ ਘਰ ਦੇਰ ਹੈ, ਹਨੇਰ ਨਹੀਂ…
ਪੰਜਾਬੀਓ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਕੁੱਝ ਦਿਨਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਨਕਲੀ ਵੀਡੀਓ ‘ਤੇ ਵਿਰੋਧੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਰੱਜ ਕੇ ਰਾਜਨੀਤੀ ਕੀਤੀ.. ਅੱਜ ਇੱਕ ਨਕਾਬ ਨੇ ਵਿਰੋਧੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਚਿਹਰੇ ਨੂੰ ਬੇਨਕਾਬ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ… ਮੈਂ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਤੋਂ ਹੀ ਕਹਿੰਦਾ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਵੀਡੀਓ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੈਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਾਂ… ਮੇਰਾ ਸਿਰ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ… pic.twitter.com/vKZpck4OCW
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) June 25, 2026
Mann named Jagman Samra, a Canada-based Punjabi NRI originally from Sangrur district in Punjab behind the viral video, claiming he is the same person who also made the mask of Arvind Kejriwal.
At the press conference, he showed a man carrying a mask resembling Bhagwant Mann on his hand.
“Where did you get the mask made?… We have the pic and video of Jagman Samra, who is the main blackmailer carrying the mask…This person has also made the mask of Arvind Kejriwal,” the Punjab Chief Minister added.
The Chief Minister said the Punjab Police would bring Jagman Samra back to India through Interpol.
Mann claimed that the video was made in a hotel room in Canada, adding that he has not visited that country since November 2016, adding he will reveal who is the producer and the director of the video in the coming days.
The Congress accused the AAP of “playing another trick” to save the Chief Minister.
“@AAPPunjab has fraudulently created a fake ID of Jagman Samra on 06.04.2026 who released the controversial video to create the story of “Mask”! Although it’s a matter of forensic examination but i feel Aap has created another fake video trying to prove the “Mask” theory! Why there’s no mention of the fact that the person in Beadbi video was wearing a “Mask”in the recent report procured by Bhagwant? This is definitely not the video released by Jagman Samra,” Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira posted on X.
Everyone by now knows @AamAadmiParty is a party of tricksters and @BhagwantMann played yet another trick to save himself not realizing he has further entangled himself ! @AAPPunjab has fraudulently created a fake ID of Jagman Samra on 06.04.2026 who released the controversial… pic.twitter.com/ZsMthU1mQs
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) June 25, 2026
The Congress MLA demanded that the video released by Bhagwant Mann today be sent for forensic examination in a government approved forensic lab to find the truth.
Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon urged the Chief Minister to drop the “mask of lies”.
.@BhagwantMann ਜੀ, ਝੂਠ ਦਾ ਮੁਖੌਟਾ ਉਤਾਰੋ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਦੇਖ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ।
ਤੁਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੀ ਪੂਰੀ ਪ੍ਰੈੱਸ ਕਾਨਫਰੰਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਵੀ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਨਹੀਂ ਬੋਲੇ:
✗ ₹10 ਲੱਖ ਦੀ ਰਿਸ਼ਵਤ ਬਾਰੇ⁰✗ ਫਰਜ਼ੀ ਫੋਰੈਂਸਿਕ ਰਿਪੋਰਟ ਬਾਰੇ⁰✗ ਗੁਰੂਗ੍ਰਾਮ ਐਫਆਈਆਰ (FIR) ਬਾਰੇ⁰✗ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਦੀ ਮਿਲੀਭੁਗਤ ਬਾਰੇ — ਜਿਸ ਨੇ ਸੱਚ ਨੂੰ ਦਬਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਝੂਠੀ…— Kewal Singh Dhillon (@KewalDhillonPB) June 25, 2026
The controversy gained momentum after Gurugram police confirmed the arrest of two individuals accused of fabricating a forensic report related to the viral video.
“The Gurgaon Police received a complaint. We have taken two individuals into custody; an interrogation is currently underway,” police said.
According to the police officer, one of the accused, identified as Ankit, worked as a cyber expert with the NIA on a contractual basis, while the second accused was identified as Arun.
“They stated that they were given Rs 10 lakh for this task and indicated that certain officials from the neighbouring state were also involved,” Naveen Sharma, Gurugram Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime), said. The officer further alleged that the accused were not operating from any government-recognised forensic laboratory.
The Haryana Police registered a case on Tuesday on a complaint from a man who alleged that he was approached to procure the fabricated forensic report of the video.
Read: Haryana Cops Say Forensic Report On Bhagwant Mann Video Fabricated, File Case
Earlier this month, the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs, declared Mann “guru dokhi” (anti-guru) and “Khalsa panth virodhi” (anti-Khalsa panth) over the video purportedly showing a man resembling him indulging in objectionable activities with pictures of Sikh gurus.
BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, a former AAP leader, claimed that Sikhs are hurt by the controversy, and said Mann is no longer fit to continue as the Punjab chief minister and demanded legal action against him.
“The truth behind the real sacrilege video involving Bhagwant Mann has now come out. The sin committed by Bhagwant Mann and the Punjab government in preparing a fake and fabricated forensic report to hide the truth about that video has been exposed,” he claimed.
“Those who had even the slightest doubt about whether the sacrilege video was genuine or AI-generated or fake have now had all their doubts removed,” he added.
Seeking a wider investigation, the BJP MP claimed that the alleged fabrication of the forensic report involves several people.
“An investigation should also be conducted into how this fabricated forensic report was procured. Which officials were involved? Was government money used? Were bribes paid to obtain this report? Does this involve money laundering? All these issues now fall within the scope of investigation. They must thoroughly be probed and appropriate action should be taken,” he said.
