PHAGWARA: Senior Congress leader and MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, today welcomed the decision of the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib to bring into the public domain the serious issue of objectionable videos allegedly involving Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Khaira demanded an independent, credible, and impartial forensic verification of all such videos, including the immoral videos that went viral on social media a few weeks ago.
Khaira stated that since the Chief Minister himself has publicly announced that he would appear before Sri Akal Takhat Sahib as a humble Sikh and not as the Chief Minister of Punjab, it is imperative, in the interest of fairness, transparency, and the sanctity of the process, that Bhagwant Mann resigns from the post of Chief Minister before his appearance.
“Resignation prior to appearing at Akal Takhat Sahib is essential to ensure that no state authority, official machinery, or political influence directly or indirectly impacts the forensic verification of the videos or the religious proceedings. Only then can the process be truly fair and credible, ” Khaira asserted.
Khaira further alleged that instead of seeking truth through forensic examination, the Aam Aadmi Party government hastily declared the videos to be AI-generated without any technical or forensic verification, and went on to misuse state power to have the content blocked on social media platforms, thereby suppressing public scrutiny, accountability, and transparency.
“Now that the issue has been raised before the highest temporal seat of Sikh authority, there must be no ambiguity, cover-up, or manipulation. Only a professional forensic investigation can establish the truth and put an end to speculation, ” Khaira said.
Beyond the video controversy, Khaira urged the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib to also hold Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan accountable for their continued failure and deliberate inaction in delivering justice in the most sensitive and painful cases concerning the Sikh Panth namely the 2015 sacrilege incidents, the Behbal Kalan police firing killings, and the Maur bomb blast case.
“These cases were the star promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party and even personally by Arvind Kejriwal before coming to power in Punjab. Nearly four years later, the families of victims have received nothing but betrayal, delay, and deception, ” Khaira said.
Khaira strongly criticised what he termed selective and cosmetic action by the government, stating that focusing only on the recent theft of 328 saroops is unacceptable unless the real masterminds and perpetrators of sacrilege, including the Dera Sacha Sauda head and his accomplices, are brought to justice.
“Justice cannot be selective. The Sikh community will not accept tokenism. Accountability must be comprehensive, impartial, and fearless, ” Khaira concluded.