Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has made a new claim about the alleged sacrilege video that has stirred political controversy in the state. Speaking at a press conference in Mohali, Mann said the person in the video was not him but an actor wearing a prosthetic mask and sunglasses to hide their real identity.
Mann stated that the actor in the video deliberately used a prosthetic mask and sunglasses to disguise themselves. This is the second time in two days that the CM has tried to distance himself from the controversy.
Earlier, Mann had claimed that the video was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). But now, he has shifted his argument. At the press conference, he pointed to specific details to support his new claim. He said the scar on his throat is missing in the actor's throat in the video. He also said the physical features of the person in the video do not match his own.
Mann's party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has claimed that forensic tests have cleared the CM in the sacrilege video row.
Mann has repeatedly called the video a "malicious attempt by the opposition parties to defame" him and his government. He played the purported video at the press conference to show what he says are inconsistencies.
Mann cited two new reports to back his claim that an actor was used and that the features do not match his own.
In our view, the changing explanation from the Punjab CM is worth noting. First, the video was AI-generated. Now, it is an actor in a prosthetic mask. While it is possible that new evidence has emerged, the shift in narrative within just two days does not inspire confidence. The opposition will likely use this to question the credibility of the CM's defense. For the public, the key question remains: who is behind the video, and what is the real motive? Until a clear, independent investigation is completed, the controversy is unlikely to die down.
