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Amritsar: In a curious twist, the Akal Takht Secretariat rescheduled Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s appearance before the Akal Takht, citing his “prior appointments”, even as the CM publicly asserted that he was fully available at the fixed time initially.

The episode unfolded after Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj had, on January 5, summoned the Chief Minister to appear at the Akal Takht Secretariat at 10 am on January 15. The summons sought clarification from Mann regarding allegations that he had insulted Sikh principles and institutions through his past conduct.

Subsequently, the Akal Takht Secretariat issued a communication revising the meeting time to 4.30 pm, citing the Chief Minister’s prior official engagements.

However, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann promptly contradicted this reasoning in a post on X, stating that he had no appointments on January 15 and that the entire day had been kept free exclusively to appear before Akal Takht Sahib.

“I have no appointment on January 15. I have conveyed this to the Office of the President. January 15, as per your orders, was fully devoted to Akal Takht Sahib. No official intimation about changing the time from me or my office was released. I am ready to come humbly at 10 am,” the Chief Minister wrote.

Mann was earlier scheduled to accompany Droupadi Murmu to two convocation ceremonies in Punjab — at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, on January 15, and at the Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology on January 16. According to the Chief Minister, this schedule had already been communicated to the President’s Office, and January 15 was cleared for his appearance before the Akal Takht.

The Akal Takht Secretariat has not yet issued a fresh clarification on the Chief Minister’s assertion, leaving the unusual rescheduling — and the reasons behind it — at the centre of political and religious attention in Punjab.