New Delhi/Chandigarh, June 24 (IANS) In a sharp escalation of the political storm surrounding Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a blistering offensive, demanding an impartial forensic probe into a contentious video clip that has ignited fierce debate across the state.

BJP National Spokesperson R.P. Singh has challenged Chief Minister Mann to move beyond private agency reports and submit the disputed footage to a credible government laboratory for definitive authentication.

On his official X account, Singh minced no words, saying: “If you truly believe the video is fake, stop depending on overnight certificates from private operators. Send it immediately to an independent, reputed facility such as CFSL Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Pune, or Bhopal. Let science, not haste, reveal the truth. The people of Punjab and the Sikh Panth deserve facts, not convenient conclusions.”

The controversy centres on an “objectionable” video allegedly featuring Mann, which the Chief Minister has vehemently dismissed as fabricated and the work of an impersonator.

Chief Minister Mann has even communicated this position to the Akal Takht, insisting the clip is part of a malicious campaign to tarnish his reputation.

However, the narrative took a dramatic turn with arrests by Haryana’s Gurugram Police.

Following a complaint by forensic expert Jaspreet Singh, authorities detained two individuals, Ankit from Delhi and Arun from Panchkula.

Singh alleged that senior Punjab Police officials — including a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and a Superintendent of Police (SP) — approached him with an offer of Rs 10 lakh to produce a favourable forensic report on the video.

He claimed the experts he engaged faced repeated pressure via WhatsApp to alter draft reports until they matched official expectations.

The Gurugram Police have registered an FIR at the DLF Sector-29 police station invoking stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to organised crime, cheating, and forgery of electronic records, alongside relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.

The arrested duo is slated to appear in court.

BJP leader R.P. Singh described the development as a “state-sponsored conspiracy” aimed at shielding the Chief Minister from political and religious backlash.

In a post on X, the BJP leader declared, “The Bhagwant Mann video cover-up unravels… This has now become a heavy-duty criminal investigation.”

“Using forged science and state-backed intimidation to gaslight the Panth and the public is a fatal blow to the Mann government. RESIGNATION the only option left,” the BJP spokesperson added.

–IANS

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