Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Defends Integrity Amid Deepfake Scandal

Mann hit back at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, questioning the organization's selective outrage and lack of consistency in addressing similar controversies involving other public figures. He maintains that investigators are closing in on the source of the footage and has publicly denied being the person captured in the clip.

The political fallout has widened, drawing in national voices. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has joined critics demanding Mann step down on ethical grounds, while Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa raised concerns regarding the forensic scrutiny of the video, which many suspect was generated using artificial intelligence. Authorities are currently tracking the origins of the material, attempting to verify its authenticity as the standoff between the administration and its opposition deepens.