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The Akal Takht verdict against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, declaring him “anti-Sikhs” and “anti-Gurus” has come in handy for the opposition parties in Punjab, who are trying their best to ensure that the Chief Minister does not get off the hook in this matter. Moreover, with the crucial state assembly elections just about six months away, the combined opposition is not letting down its guard against the Chief Minister, maintaining the pressure and seeking his resignation for alleged “sacrilege”.

 

The entire opposition has demanded Mann’s resignation and registration of an FIR under the new stringent sacrilege law, which was passed by the AAP government a few months ago.

Mann, as such, so far, has not openly defied the Akal Takht edict against him, as he has repeatedly been reiterating his faith in the supreme authority of the Takht. Initially, he and his party had presented a guarded defence by not contradicting the Akal Takht finding about the authenticity of the purported video that allegedly shows a person resembling him (Mann), sprinkling drops of liquor on a photo frame containing pictures of ten Gurus and then also trying to urinate in front of the table-top statue of militant preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale.

 

Mann and his party had pointed out that the Akal Takht had only got the video authenticated, and it was not confirmed by the forensic investigation that the person in the video was him (Mann). Had the Chief Minister and his party stuck to the same stand, things would not have spiraled out of control. The matter could have been resolved with Mann appearing before the Akal Takht and explaining his position and providing the same defence he presented before the public that the person in the purported video was not him (the Chief Minister).

In a tearing hurry, some of his ultra-loyalists within the government, including some police officers, apparently suggested getting a “favourable” report from some forensic laboratory. Two Punjab Police officers reportedly found some “forensic” expert in Gurugram and asked him to provide the report, which he reportedly did, validating the AAP and Mann’s version that the man in the purported video was not Mann.

The government showed undue hurry in getting the report. The “Gurugram” report nowhere contradicted the findings of the Akal Takht, but only claimed that the person in the video was not Mann. Things took a surprise turn after the “forensic expert” alleged that he was pressured and forced to give a “doctored” report when he was not even authorised to do that.

There were already doubts prevailing about the authenticity of the report since it was prepared within two days. The “forensic experts” complaint further complicated the matter for the government. Haryana Police have registered an FIR in the matter on the complaint of the “forensic expert”.

In the meanwhile, the opposition parties sharpened their attack on the Chief Minister demanding his resignation and registration of an FIR against him for alleged sacrilege.

 

Not to be cowed down, the indomitable Chief Minister on Thursday, while reiterating that the person in the purported video was not him, came with another claim that the person was wearing a “prosthetic mask” resembling his image.

 

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The opposition countered these claims asking him why he was so late in saying that and why did the forensic labs, which had given him clean chit, not mention that the person in the purported video was wearing a mask.

While the political slugfest will continue right till the elections and beyond that, at stake is the authority of the Akal Takht. This is for the first time that someone has openly defied the Akal Takht authority. Mann has repeatedly been reaffirming his faith in the supreme authority of the Akal Takht, but he has conveyed it clearly that the Takht Jathedar had acted at the political behest.

There are people within the Sikh faith who agree with him that the Akal Takht jatehdar has acted at the behest of the Akali Dal, which controls the SGPC, that in turn appoints the Akal Takht jathedar. At the same time, there are strong reservations against “defying” the authority of the Takht. Takht is not only the supreme temporal authority of the Sikhs, but also a binding force of the community. Anything that is delivered from its precincts becomes a law.

Mann had two options; one to accept the Akal Takht edict and seek forgiveness. He chose the other option of not accepting that he was guilty, as Akal Takht had pronounced him and instead of presenting his case before the Takht, he chose to go to the people.

The opposition parties, including the Akali Dal, the Congress and the BJP are seeing a golden chance in this controversy about the Chief Minister and are trying to use it to the hilt.

The SGPC has started putting up posters outside the gurdwaras asking the Sikh community to boycott the Chief Minister in accordance with the Akal Takht edict. This has created a piquant situation for the common Sikhs, who as a matter of faith will go with the edict.

While it leaves limited options for Mann, it has also put at stake the supreme authority of the Akal Takht that someone has the audacity to defy its orders. While much depends on Mann as to how he deals with the situation, the opposition parties must exercise utmost restraint in pedaling the narrative that Mann has defied the Akal Takht.  It risks setting a wrong precedent.