3 min readChandigarhJun 18, 2026 11:35 AM IST
First published on: Jun 18, 2026 at 11:35 AM IST
Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has publicly adopted a combative stance on the Akal Takht’s pronouncement against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the party is torn between whether its 95 MLAs and ministers, summoned to appear before the Akal Takht on June 29, should appear or boycott the summons.
So far, the party has not issued any formal line to its legislators. The uncertainty is particularly pronounced because while the AAP commands an overwhelming majority in the Punjab Assembly, fewer than a dozen of its MLAs are baptised Sikhs, for whom the summons carries religious implications beyond politics.
A senior AAP MLA admitted that the party leadership was yet to spell out its position. “We can only wait and watch. Nobody else will have problems but the baptised ones. If they do not appear before the Akal Takht, they face excommunication. It remains to be seen if they want to risk this confrontation inside their faith,” he said.
“The party is also thinking that if it decides not to take the summons seriously, what will happen to the baptised Sikhs. Some of them may want to appear on their own. It is a personal decision as much as it is a political one. Maybe the party will leave this to them to handle it personally,” he added.
The dilemma stems from the sharp line adopted by the party after Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj declared Mann “Guru Dokhi” (anti-Guru) and “Khalsa Panth Virodhi” (opposed to the Khalsa Panth), and summoned the entire AAP legislature party. Mann has rejected the allegations and questioned the neutrality of the Sikh clergy.
Bhagwant Mann ‘shocked’
In a video statement issued on Tuesday, Mann said he was “shocked” that people occupying such high religious offices were making assertions “at the behest of their political bosses”. Reiterating his stand on the controversial video that triggered the row, Mann maintained that the person seen in the clip was not him and alleged that political opponents were targeting him because he had stood up for Punjab’s interests.
While publicly backing the chief minister, the AAP has also sought support from prominent baptised Sikh leaders within its ranks.
Former minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, who heads the Chief Khalsa Diwan and is himself a baptised Sikh, reposted Mann’s video on social media.
“A smear campaign is being run against Chief Minister @BhagwantMann ji, using a video as the basis. The Chief Minister has clearly stated that the person in the video is not him. People frustrated by decisions in Punjab’s interests are resorting to political tactics, but the people of Punjab know the difference between truth and falsehood,” Nijjar wrote.
Mann is, however, carrying out his public milni program. On Tuesday, he held a public milni and interacted with people and party workers. He addressed another public meeting in Bhatlan village in Hoshiarpur on Wednesday.
File photo of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. 
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