In October 2025, Jagmandeep Samra, an NRI businessman based in Canada, uploaded a controversial video on his social media page, levelling serious allegations against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The video has once again become a major topic of discussion in recent days.
SNPNEWS.IN (Gurmail Kamboj): Jagmandeep Samra, considered close to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, posted a controversial video on his social media page in October 2025. In the video, a person is seen inside a room, holding a glass of alcohol in front of pictures of Sikh Gurus, spraying liquor on them and committing sacrilege. After samra’s video post, serious allegations were made by Akali Dal and Congress’s leaders against the Chief Minister for indulging in religious blasphemy while under the influence of drugs. The video and Samra remained in the headlines for some time after its release.
Timeline of the Controversy:
4 January 2026: A Sikh devotee filed a written complaint at Sri Akal Takht Sahib. The complaint accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of making objectionable remarks about the Guru’s Golak and insulting the images of the Sikh Gurus.
5 January 2026: Akal Takht Sahib issued a notice to Bhagwant Mann, directing him to personally appear at the Akal Takht Secretariat on 15 January 2026 at 10 AM to give his clarification.
In the notice issued by Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, it was mentioned, citing Sikh Maryada, that since Bhagwant Mann is a Kes-katta (Patit), he could not appear before the main facade of Akal Takht Sahib. Therefore, he was ordered to appear inside the Secretariat.
Immediately after receiving the notice on 5 January, the Chief Minister issued a statement saying that Akal Takht Sahib is supreme for him. He declared that he would appear barefoot on 15 January as a humble Sikh. (He even cancelled a scheduled official programme with President Droupadi Murmu in Amritsar that day.)
Appearance on 15 January 2026:
During his appearance before the Singh Sahibans, Chief Minister Mann outright rejected the video. He claimed it was entirely fake and had been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to defame him. After his reply, Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj asked Mann to suggest names of government forensic laboratories for an independent probe into the video.
Despite Akal Takht Sahib sending a second letter on 27 January, the Chief Minister’s office did not provide any clear response or suggest any laboratories. Consequently, Akal Takht Sahib itself got the video examined from two central forensic laboratories recognised by the Government of India.
15 June 2026:
In a press conference, Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj announced, based on the forensic reports, that the viral video is genuine and not created using AI. He accused Bhagwant Mann of lying before Akal Takht Sahib and declared him “Guru-Dokhi” (enemy of the Guru) and “Khalsa Panth Virodhi” (opponent of the Khalsa Panth). The Jathedar instructed the Sikh Sangat to sever all ties with the Chief Minister. Additionally, all Sikh MLAs and Cabinet Ministers of Punjab were summoned to appear before Akal Takht Sahib on 29 June 2026.
On 16 June, Bhagwant Mann released a video statement describing the entire matter as a political conspiracy against him. He questioned political interference in religious institutions and urged opponents not to give the issue a political colour.
New Twist on 18 June:
AAP State Spokesperson and Media Incharge Baltej Pannu, along with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, held a joint press conference in Chandigarh. They strongly defended the Chief Minister and made several major claims:
● Fake Video Claim: Citing reports from two forensic laboratories, Baltej Pannu claimed the video is completely fake and fabricated.
● Use of Lookalike: He stated that the person in the video is not Bhagwant Mann but an actor (lookalike) used to damage his image.
● Frame-by-Frame Analysis: Pannu revealed that independent labs had examined 1,191 frames in detail. The facial features, height, body posture, and skin tone do not match the Chief Minister at all.
● Leaking to Journalists: He alleged that the video was initially sent to some journalists, and when they did not upload it, opponents circulated it through other channels to politically harm Mann.
● Demand to DGP: An AAP delegation met the Punjab DGP and demanded a thorough investigation into the organisations and networks behind the conspiracy, along with strict punishment for those involved.
After AAP’s press conference, Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira and Akali leader Bikram Majithia expressed doubts about the authenticity of the report and alleged that a suspicious meeting had taken place in a Gurugram hotel involving Ludhiana police officials and the person who prepared the report.
On 20 June, Sri Akal Takht Sahib released the original video recording of Bhagwant Mann’s 15 January appearance. In response, Baltej Pannu reacted on social media (X), claiming that the video proved Mann had never said the video was made using AI. He asserted that Mann had only called it “fake” (made using an actor) from the very beginning and appealed to the Jathedar to identify the alleged lookalike actor.
ĹpAs the controversy escalated, on 20 June 2026, Akal Takht Sahib released the full CCTV/video recording of Mann’s appearance, in which he clearly refers to the viral video as an AI-generated fake. Akal Takht also pointed out that Mann had promised an investigation but failed to provide any response later.
On 23 June, Bikram Majithia released a video showing a meeting in a Gurugram hotel involving forensic expert Jaspreet Jassi and two senior Punjab Police officers. He alleged that Jassi was offered ₹10 lakh in cash to prepare a fake forensic report declaring the video as fabricated. When he refused, threats were made to his family. Majithia and Sukhpal Khaira also released WhatsApp chats of the police officers to support their claims.
Later, forensic expert Jaspreet Jassi filed a police complaint stating that two senior Punjab Police officers had pressured him during a meeting at a Gurugram hotel. He was offered ₹10 lakh to prepare a manipulated report in Bhagwant Mann’s favour and was threatened with dire consequences if he refused. Jassi told police he could identify the officers, who had addressed a senior person present as “Vadda Sahib” during the secret meeting on the night of 15 June at Hotel Crown Plaza, Gurugram.
In this case, Gurugram Police (Haryana) registered an FIR at DLF Sector-29 police station and arrested two youths — Arun Mahindru and Ankit. Haryana Police’s Crime Branch is currently interrogating them to identify the senior Punjab Police officers involved in the alleged conspiracy to obtain a fake forensic report.
📚 Punjab Government Takes U-Turn After Chief Minister’s Controversial Statement.
The entire episode has led to a direct confrontation between the Punjab Government, the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, and Haryana Police. Ahead of elections, opposition parties (Akali Dal and Congress) are aggressively using this issue as a political weapon against Bhagwant Mann and are demanding his resignation over the blasphemy allegations.
The controversy continues to simmer with serious political and religious ramifications.