Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday alleged that a controversial video purportedly featuring him was fabricated using a facial mask and formed part of a political conspiracy orchestrated by opposition parties.
Speaking at a press conference in Mohali, Mann claimed the video was shot in a hotel room in Abbotsford, Canada, by a Canada-based individual identified as Jagman Samra. According to Mann, the person in the video wore a specially designed mask resembling him.
The chief minister said several visual details indicated the footage was fake, including the absence of a surgery scar on his neck that he said has been visible since childhood. Mann also claimed the facial structure, neck line, ears and body language seen in the video did not match his own appearance.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal backed Mann’s claims and accused rival parties of attempting to politically and religiously defame the Punjab chief minister. In a post on X, Kejriwal alleged that the “entire truth” behind the video had now come out.
Mann alleged that Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP leaders had collectively targeted him because they were unable to counter his government’s work on development and welfare issues in Punjab. He also questioned the role of certain religious functionaries and accused opponents of selectively releasing edited recordings linked to the controversy.
The Punjab chief minister maintained that he respected the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and said he would present all evidence before it for an impartial examination. He added that an FIR had already been registered and that police would be provided all evidence related to the case.
Mann further alleged that the same individuals had created other fabricated videos targeting him and claimed such material often surfaced around elections to damage his public image.
