Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has alleged that a prosthetic mask and sunglasses were used to conceal the identity of the individual in a controversial sacrilege video that has sparked a political row. Speaking at a press conference in Mohali on Thursday, Mann reiterated that the video is a malicious attempt by opposition parties to defame him and his government.
CM's Detailed Rebuttal
Mann played the purported video during the press conference, pointing out discrepancies between his appearance and that of the person in the footage. 'The actor is wearing a prosthetic mask in the video. The scar on my throat is missing in the actor's throat in the video and his physical features do not match with mine. The actor has deliberately put up sunglasses to hide his eyes as it exposes his real identity,' Mann stated.
He alleged that the conspiracy was orchestrated by Jagman Samra, whom he described as a 'blackmailer' residing in Abbotsford, Canada. According to Mann, Samra had a prosthetic mask made, crafted from foam latex or silicone, and shot the video in Canada. 'He has also made a mask of Arvind Kejriwal. A joint forum (of opposition parties) is behind this targeted attack which will be revealed in the days to come,' Mann added.
Background of the Controversy
The political row erupted after an alleged objectionable video of the CM went viral. The Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhism, issued an edict against Mann on June 15. Since then, both the Akal Takht and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have presented contradicting forensic reports regarding the video's authenticity.
Mann, 52, asserted that he would submit the facts in a video to the Akal Takht and the police to ensure action against those responsible. He denied any close association with Samra, stating, 'Samra is not my friend, he had met me only once but I know that he has a tainted past.' He also clarified that he has not visited Canada since 2016, contrary to opposition claims that the video was filmed in 2018-19.
Political and Religious Ramifications
Mann recounted the work his government has done for religious institutions, expressing frustration at being vilified by political masters of a religious body. 'Everyday, new edicts are being issued to defame me. For putting up boards to boycott me, I want to ask the SGPC why such boards were not put up against Sukhbir Badal when he was declared a 'tankhayyia'. I am a humble Sikh who respects the Akal Takht. I am not in that video. My physical features do not match with the figure in the video,' he said.
In a parallel development, the Gurugram police arrested two suspects following a complaint by a forensic expert related to the viral video. The First Information Report (FIR) alleges that employees of two private facilities, Cipher Sentinel Lab and Cyberyan Labs, were coerced into producing a predetermined 'clean chit' report to exonerate the CM from the purported video.
