'Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann anti-Sikh', declares Akal Takht following sacrilege video row

NEW DELHI: The Akal Takht, the highest religious body of Sikhs, called Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann anti-Sikh after a video surfaced showing a man resembling Mann pouring alcohol on pictures of Sikh gurus.

The Chief Minister explained that the video was AI-generated, but the Akal Takht said that forensic tests conducted at two central government-approved labs found it to be genuine. Following this, after a meeting of five Singh Sahibs (high priests), Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Garg ordered Sikhs to shun ties with the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, the Akal Takht has summoned all Sikh ministers of Punjab on the 29th with a demand to pass a bill that provides for life imprisonment for those who insult the Sikh holy book.