By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: Senior Congress leader and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded a forensic examination of the alleged obscene video of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, which was recently released online by Canada-based NRI Jagman Samra, a former friend of the CM.
Khaira questioned why the Punjab Police has not sent the video for forensic verification to any independent laboratory outside Punjab. “The government’s justification that the person who released the video is of questionable character holds no logic. Even if Jagman Samra is a bad character, that does not absolve Bhagwant Mann from the allegations against him, ” Khaira said.
Rejecting the state government’s claim that the video was part of a BJP-sponsored smear campaign, Khaira said that such excuses cannot be a substitute for a transparent probe. “If this video concerns any private citizen, it would still be serious. But since it involves the sitting Chief Minister, it is an insult to the people of Punjab, ” he added.
Khaira also cited Samra’s claim that he possesses more videos allegedly involving the Chief Minister, which could be released in the near future. He said, “It is in Bhagwant Mann’s own interest to get the video forensically examined and clear his name.”
Taking a dig at the judiciary, Khaira questioned the court’s decision to order the removal of the video from social media platforms without seeking a forensic report. “It is strange that the police approached the court ex parte—without any second party—just to get the video removed. The questions, however, will continue to linger, ” he remarked.
Khaira also referred to an earlier incident where Bhagwant Mann was reportedly deplaned from a Lufthansa flight in Frankfurt, claiming that the video of that episode was with the Union Home Ministry. “This raises concerns that the Chief Minister could be under pressure or blackmail from the Centre. His actions against farmer protests and invoking the NSA against Amritpal Singh add to these doubts, ” Khaira alleged.
Turning to corruption in the police force, Khaira criticised the CM’s silence on the recent CBI arrest of DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in a graft case. “The Chief Minister took five days to announce Bhullar’s suspension, which was mandatory once the officer was in custody for over 48 hours. Mann, being the Home Minister, cannot escape responsibility for the corruption in the police department, ” he said.
Khaira also accused the mainstream media of ignoring major corruption scandals in the Punjab government, claiming it had failed to hold the AAP administration accountable.