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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann found himself at the centre of a controversy after a viral video showed a man "resembling" him insulting Sikh sentiments. Mann, however, rubbished the allegations and accused political opponents of spreading ‘false propaganda’ to defame him.The matter stems from the summoning of Mann by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, in January this year for allegedly making comments on 'Guru ki Golak' (gurdwara donation box) and indulging in "objectionable activities" with the pictures of the Sikh Gurus and slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in a purported video clip.On Monday, Akal Takht declared Mann 'Guru Dokhi' (anti-Guru) and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi' (anti-Khalsa Panth), and directed community members to "shun ties" with him after the chief minister was accused of lying about a purported objectionable video that hurt Sikh sentiments.What the viral video showsBharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Tajinder Bagga claimed that the video showed "Bhagwant Mann consuming alcohol and splashing liquor on photographs of the Sikh Gurus."Bagga claimed that "Shri Akal Takht Sahib sent the video for forensic examination to two laboratories. According to Jathedar Sahib, both reports found no signs of AI generation, fabrication, or tampering."The Akal Takht Sahib is the supreme institution for Sikhs and its decisions are respected by the community, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Bhagwant Singh Sialka was quoted by PTI as saying."This Akal Takht Sahib is the supreme institution of Sikhs and anyone is forgiven when they come and bow down, when they come with humility. And when a person shows arrogance, then he is punished by the Takht Sahib," Sialka said.Sialka also criticised Mann, alleging that entrusting the state to a person "who does not know what he is doing" raises concerns about governance."Bhagwant Singh Mann is a high-level alcoholic. Handing over the state's reins by making a person CM who doesn't even know what he is doing," Sialka was quoted as saying.BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla also hit out at Bhagwant Mann after the Akal Takht reportedly declared the Punjab CM "anti-Guru" ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Mann had insulted Sikh sentiments.In an interview with ANI, Poonawalla referred to a viral video and claimed that the Akal Takht had termed it authentic."Look, the decision from Akal Takht has come. The way a video of Bhagwant Mann surfaced, in which the Gurus are being insulted. Bhagwant Mann, intoxicated with alcohol, is committing unacceptable acts. Akal Takht has clarified that the video is not AI-generated or fake; it's a real video. It's very shameful," Poonawalla was quoted as saying.Poonawalla alleged that the Akal Takht had termed Mann and the AAP "anti-community, anti-Sikh and anti-Guru.""Now Akal Takht has decided that Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party are, in fact, anti-community, anti-Sikh and anti-Guru. I think any other person would have resigned on moral grounds. But Kejriwal ji is so anti-Sikh that he is letting a Chief Minister like Bhagwant Mann continue," he alleged.Bhagwant Mann says 'I do not feature in that video at all'A day after the Sikh clergy declared him 'Guru Dokhi' (anti-Guru) and 'Khalsa Panth virodhi' (anti-Khalsa Panth) over an "objectionable" video, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann rejected it, saying on Tuesday that the person in the video was not him.In a video message released on X by Mann, the Punjab Chief Minister denied appearing in the viral video, and also rejected the authenticity of that video.He said, "Recently, the 'jathedar' of Sri Akal Takht Sahib issued certain statements concerning me, based on a specific video, saying that the video is not AI-generated or doctored."Earlier, on January 15 this year, Mann had appeared before the Secretariat of Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar after being summoned.He was questioned by Sangh Sahib about the alleged viral
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post celebrating Slovakia’s highest civilian honour drew attention after it featured the theme music from Allu Arjun’s upcoming film AA23, triggering enthusiastic reactions online.PM Modi received the highest Slovakian honour and shared the post on Instagram with AA23's main theme.A recent social media post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Slovakia became the subject of widespread discussion online, not only for its diplomatic significance but also for its choice of background music.PM Modi uses AA23 theme for his latest postThe Prime Minister, who was on an official visit to Slovakia, shared photographs and video clips from a ceremony in which he was conferred with the country’s highest state honour. However, many social media users quickly noticed that the soundtrack accompanying the post was the “23 Theme” from the forthcoming Allu Arjun-starrer AA23.Sharing the picture, PM Modi wrote, “Honoured to receive The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) in Bratislava. I dedicate this award to the enduring friendship between India and Slovakia. @peter_pellegrini (sic).”The track, composed by music director Anirudh Ravichander and sung by Hector Salamanca, had already generated considerable attention among fans when it was released on YouTube and other streaming platforms.Its appearance in an official post by the Prime Minister added a new dimension to the conversation, prompting enthusiastic responses from fans of the Telugu superstar.Internet reacts to the song selectionComment sections across platforms were soon flooded with reactions, with many users expressing surprise at the unexpected crossover between politics and popular culture.One user wrote, “We got Modiji using Anirudh music in his post before GTA VI😂 (sic)”.Another commented, “The song of AA23 🔥🔥 🔥🔥 @alluarjunonline @anirudhofficial 👏 (sic)”.Others focused on the suitability of the music choice, posting messages such as “Song selection 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥 (sic)” and “Song suits the vibe of our PM 🔥🧡 (sic)”.A further reaction read, “Modi ji using trending songs 😭🫠✨ (sic)”.Several fans also responded by sharing GIFs and clips from Allu Arjun’s films, turning the comments section into an impromptu celebration of the actor’s growing national popularity.Why was PM Modi in Slovakia?The post itself commemorated a significant diplomatic milestone. In a special ceremony, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini conferred upon Prime Minister Modi “The Order of the White Double Cross, First Class”, Slovakia’s highest state honour.According to official statements, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the President, government and people of Slovakia for the recognition. Accepting the award, Modi said the honour belonged to the 1.4 billion people of India and reflected the enduring friendship between India and Slovakia.He further described the award as a symbol of the warmth, trust and goodwill shared by the two nations and expressed hope that future generations would continue strengthening bilateral ties.Allu Arjun, Lokesh Kanagaraj's work frontsThe unexpected inclusion of the AA23 theme has meanwhile added to the expectation surrounding the film. The project marks the first collaboration between Allu Arjun and filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj, one of India’s most prominent contemporary directors. Production on the film is currently underway, with details about the project still being closely guarded.For many fans, the use of the track in such a high-profile post effectively served as another boost for a film that has already generated substantial excitement despite remaining largely under wraps.Apart from AA23, Kanagaraj is also set to appear in a leading role in DC (Devadas Chandra), where he will portray the leading role as Devadas, while Wamiqa Gabbi will play Chandra.Allu Arjun, who was last seen in the blockbuster Pushpa: The Rule, is also expected to feature in Raaka, in which he will reportedly star alongside Deepika Padukone.While the
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Watch: PM Modi welcomed in Slovakia with rendition of 'Vande Mataram', folk dance performances Moneycontrol.com
Watch: Slovak nationals welcome PM Modi with Vande Mataram, folk dance performances The Times of India
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