CM Mann alleges BJP edited Atishi video to trigger communal tension in Punjab; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Bathinda (Punjab), January 11, 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of deliberately editing a video of former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi in an attempt to create communal unrest in Punjab.
He said a forensic investigation had established that the controversial word attributed to Atishi was never used and alleged that false subtitles were inserted into the video for political gain.
Addressing a press conference in Bathinda, Mann said the alleged tampering of the Delhi Assembly video amounted to beadbi (sacrilege) and defended the Punjab Police’s action against BJP leader Kapil Mishra, stating that the case was registered for hurting public sentiments, not for any issue related to Assembly privilege.
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The Chief Minister claimed that the disputed statement does not appear in the official records of the Delhi Assembly, adding that if such a remark had been made, the Speaker would have had full documentation of it. “Forensic evidence clearly shows that Atishi did not use the word being attributed to her,” Mann said.
Mann also alleged that the BJP has consistently taken an anti-Punjab stand on issues such as Chandigarh, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and Panjab University. He said leaders like Captain Amarinder Singh, Sunil Jakhar and Ravneet Singh Bittu were now in an uncomfortable position trying to defend what he described as the BJP’s false narrative.
Targeting Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mann accused him of “shedding crocodile tears” over Punjab’s issues after previously supporting decisions that, according to him, were against farmers and the state’s interests. He also said the Congress, BJP and Akali Dal were acting in tandem against the Punjab government due to a lack of substantive issues.
The Chief Minister further said the opposition’s focus on controversies was a sign of political frustration. “Despite this, the government remains focused on governance and public welfare,” he said.
Mann also stated that he would appear before Sri Akal Takht Sahib on January 15 to present all facts related to the issue, reiterating that the authority of the Akal Takht was supreme for him.