Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa addresses a press conference at the BJP Headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday
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The BJP on Wednesday demanded Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s arrest, accusing him of allegedly paying private individuals to procure two fake forensic reports of a controversial video purporting to show him in an intoxicated state disrespecting Sikh Gurus, which had triggered widespread controversy. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who addressed the press conference, said Mann committed a grave sin by desecrating the Sikh Gurus’ photograph and, he also tried to suppress the matter by obtaining allegedly fabricated forensic reports claiming that the video was generated using Artificial Intelligence and was not genuine . He has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs, he said.The presser came a day after businessline reported that Gurugram police had registered an FIR based on a complaint lodged by Jasprit alias Jassi. He claimed he was paid ₹10 lakh to obtain two fake forensic reports, which Mann had earlier claimed that the controversial video of him was an AI-generated deepfake.Mann allegedly got this done to counter the Akal Takht’s dictate, which declared the Punjab CM a ‘betrayer of the Guru’ and ‘an enemy of the Khalsa Panth’. Haryana police have also arrested two persons for their role in the scandal for sourcing fake forensic reports.“...The way such a grave sin has been committed, and the attempt to suppress it with the help of money and the police, has been challenged. Sikh authorities, the dignity of Sikhs, and the sentiments of Sikhs have been challenged...When will a case be filed against Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann? When will Bhagwant Mann be arrested in this case?” Sirsa said. He also questioned the silence of former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.Sirsa alleged that AAP leaders sought to discredit the findings of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs instead of expressing remorse.“Instead of repenting for the sin he committed, their minister Harpal Cheema held a press conference on June 18 and said that this video was fake,” Sirsa alleged.The Delhi Minister alleged that as the investigation progressed, it emerged that “Bhagwant Mann’s blue-eyed boy, Swapan Sharma, and SP Jashandeep Singh, with the help of a person named Jaspreet Singh in Haryana, arranged a meeting at a hotel in Gurugram with a forensic laboratory."“Money (₹10 lakh) was exchanged during the meeting, and the video was edited to make it appear as if Bhagwant Mann was not present in it and that the video was fake,” he alleged.They used the Aam Aadmi Party’s black money to get this forensic report prepared, he stated.According to Sirsa, the people who allegedly conducted the examination have themselves stated that they did not even possess the expertise to conduct forensic examinations. They claimed they were document forensics experts, were paid money, and that the work was carried out through them.The CM, however, stood by his claim that the video was fake, arguing that the person seen in the clip did not match his height and physique. “By intimidating the lab owners through the registration of an FIR and subjecting them to harassment and threats, they want to extract a statement from them claiming that money was taken to prepare fabricated reports,” Mann said in a video.Targeting the Congress, BJP and the Akali Dal, he said, “When they could not find anything against me, they tried to tarnish my image on the religious front.”Published on June 24, 2026
