Punjab's political landscape has been shaken this week as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann faces a blasphemy allegation stemming from an old video. The Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority for Sikhs, has censured Mann, and opposition parties have joined the chorus. Mann, however, is fighting back, citing a clean chit from a Gurgaon laboratory. The situation has escalated after Haryana Police arrested two lab employees on bribery allegations.
Mann's Battle and AAP's Challenge
The question now is whether Mann can weather the storm and prove his innocence. The crisis threatens to damage AAP, which rose to power on an anti-corruption platform. Until last week, AAP appeared to be coasting, with a fragmented opposition. Chief Minister Mann's sporadic walkabouts and Arvind Kejriwal's promises of freebies—including monthly payments of Rs 1,500 to Scheduled Caste women and Rs 1,000 to others—seemed to be crafting a winning formula. But this week's video controversy may derail that momentum.
BJP's Strategic Moves
New BJP president Nitin Nabin recently toured Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar to assess the challenge ahead of the early 2027 assembly polls. As chaos unfolds, the BJP senses an opening. Senior leaders like Home Minister Amit Shah and Nabin believe the party can field 117 candidates. Reports suggest a potential rekindling of the BJP-SAD alliance, which fell apart over the 2020 farm laws. A senior BJP leader, speaking anonymously, told The Tribune that "nothing can be ruled out in politics."
Congress and SAD's Positions
Congress came second to AAP in recent urban body elections, indicating lingering loyalty despite internal divisions—at least five self-appointed chief ministerial candidates. SAD faces its own challenge: Punjab has not forgiven the party for failing to take strong action against those accused of sacrilege in the 2015 Bargari incident, when pages of the Guru Granth Sahib were found torn. Now, the opposition accuses Mann of similar sacrilege, a charge AAP strongly denies.
Drugs and Arms: A Growing Menace
The Tribune's Amritsar reporter Pawan K Jaiswar reports daily seizures of heroin and small arms along the India-Pakistan border. Police say drones from across the border are becoming more sophisticated, flying low to evade radar and bringing larger consignments. In Jalandhar, Aparna Banerji's stories highlight families devastated by heroin addiction. AAP's 'Yudh Nashiyan Virudh' campaign has exposed the crisis, but rehabilitation requires a comprehensive plan involving all parties. This week, the BJP suspended a senior leader after the BSF recovered 26 weapons, including an AK-47, from his son, allegedly an addict.
The Road Ahead
The Akal Takht has ordered historic gurdwaras to display banners critical of Mann. Some have complied, but independent managements and Singh Sabha affiliates have not yet fallen in line. Meanwhile, Waris Punjab De (WPD), whose MP Amritpal Singh remains in jail, adds another layer to the narrative. As the ground shifts, the battle for 2027 is only beginning. Whether Mann survives or Punjab repeats its 2017 rejection of SAD remains to be seen.
