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Amritsar: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday reached the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar after being summoned over alleged derogatory remarks on Sikh institutions.
A senior secretariat official said all arrangements had been made as per the directions of the officiating Jathedar, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, including the deployment of additional staff for the meeting. While the meeting had earlier been rescheduled from 10 am to 4.30 pm, citing the Chief Minister’s proposed engagement with President Droupadi Murmu at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Mann maintained that he had cancelled all appointments in advance and reserved the entire day for the Akal Takht’s call.
After the meeting, Mann said he appeared as a “humble Sikh” and submitted detailed written explanations along with complaints and supporting material received from the public. He claimed that nearly 25,000 pages of documents and evidence were handed over to the officiating Jathedar, who informed him that the material would be examined.
‘No politics behind missing saroops probe’
The Chief Minister reiterated that there was no political motive behind the government’s probe into the missing saroops (copies) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, asserting that the investigation was being carried out strictly in the interest of truth and accountability.
CM calls viral video ‘fake’
For the first time, Mann directly addressed a viral video circulating on social media that allegedly shows him making objectionable remarks. He said the clip was fake or possibly generated using artificial intelligence. Mann added that he had conveyed to the officiating Jathedar that the video could be subjected to forensic examination at any laboratory within Punjab or anywhere else in the country to establish the truth.
Addressing the media later, the Chief Minister said misleading narratives were deliberately circulated ahead of his appearance before the Akal Takht. “I have never challenged the Akal Takht. It is supreme,” he said, underlining that he fully respects its authority and sanctity.
