Opposition Seeks Bhagwant Mann S Resignation After Akal Takht Edict

The Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP demanded chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation on Monday following the Akal Takht edict.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called for Mann’s resignation and urged the chief minister to break his silence on the issue.

“The people of Punjab are waiting for answers to some serious charges. The Akal Takht is the supreme temporal authority for every Sikh, and its decisions are binding on everyone. Since acting jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj has declared the video as authentic after verification by two separate forensic laboratories, Mann must resign immediately as a mark of respect for the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs and respecting the sensitivities involved with the matter,” Warring said.

He said that if the chief minister could enact a stringent law against sacrilege, he should also set an example that he practices what he preaches.

Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said no one is above Akal Takht and criticised the Mann government for amending the anti-sacrilege law without extensive consultations with the Sikh community.

“We will abide by whatever decision or directive the Akal Takht Sahib has issued,” Channi said.

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon also sought Mann’s resignation, saying that the Akal Takht is the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs and its directives are respected and accepted across the community.

“In such a situation, Sikh ministers and officials serving within the Punjab government may also find themselves in an uncomfortable position. This could potentially affect the government’s functioning and decision-making, which is not in the interest of a border state like Punjab,” he claimed.

Given the seriousness of the issue, Mann should accept moral responsibility and step down from office immediately, he added.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said chief minister Bhagwant Mann had no moral right to continue in office.

“All Sikh ministers and party members serving in this government should immediately resign from their respective positions. An emergency meeting of the party’s core committee has been convened on June 17 to discuss the situation and decide the future course of action,” Sukhbir said in a post on X.