CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has landed at the centre of a deepening confrontation with Sikh religious authorities even as the President of India Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to be present in the state. Mann will skip the high-profile presidential function at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, on January 15 to respond to a summons issued by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism.
The summons, issued by Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldip Singh Gargaj, seeks an explanation from Mann over alleged derogatory remarks against core Sikh institutions and principles, including the Sikh Rehat Maryada (code of conduct), Daswandh (religious tithe) and Guru Ki Golak. Gargaj said the comments had “deeply hurt the Sikh psyche” and warranted a personal clarification.
Adding to the gravity of the matter are objectionable videos circulating on social media, purportedly showing Mann acting disrespectfully towards images of the Sikh Gurus and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. While the Akal Takht has said it will verify the authenticity of the videos including whether they are original or AI-generated the very circulation of such content has intensified outrage within sections of the Sikh community.
In a rare and pointed directive, the Akal Takht has asked Mann described in the official statement as a patit Sikh (one who has cut his hair) to appear not before the sanctum but at the secretariat of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. Sikh tradition bars patit Sikhs from appearing before the Takht’s railing. Mann has been summoned in person on January 15, 2026, at 10 am to submit his clarification.
January 15 also marks the President of India’s visit to Amritsar for a function at Guru Nanak Dev University an event Mann will now miss. In a post on X, the Chief Minister said he respects the Akal Takht’s directive and would appear “like a humble Sikh, walking barefoot, and not as the Chief Minister.” He sought an apology for his absence from the presidential event, declaring, “For me, Akal Takht is supreme.”
The Akal Takht’s intervention went beyond remarks and symbolism. Gargaj also demanded accountability from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for what he called deliberate delays in delivering justice in two deeply sensitive cases the 2015 Bargari sacrilege and the 2017 Maur bomb blast. He alleged that despite evidence linking Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim to these incidents, the Mann government has exploited the cases for political mileage while failing to arrest the masterminds.
Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Gargaj said, could also be summoned for failing to fulfil a three-year-old promise to ensure justice for the Sikh sangat. The message from the Akal Takht was clear: political office offers no shield from religious accountability.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond appeared at the Akal Takht secretariat on foot to explain controversial depictions at the Bhai Jiwan Singh Memorial further underlining the widening scope of the religious body’s scrutiny of the state government.
Mann is only the second sitting Chief Minister to be summoned by the Akal Takht, after Surjit Singh Barnala, who was declared tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) and excommunicated for ordering police action in the Golden Temple. Barnala sought atonement two years later.
Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Union Minister Buta Singh, former President Giani Zail Singh, Jagdev Singh Talwandi, and more recently Shiromani Akali Dal leaders Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia have also faced summons from the Takht.
