4 min readChandigarhJun 22, 2026 09:39 PM IST
First published on: Jun 22, 2026 at 09:39 PM IST
Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) remains locked in a confrontation with the Akal Takht following its censure of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, party national convener Arvind Kejriwal is set to visit Punjab for three days next week to participate in a series of Hindu religious events being organised by the state government.
The Punjab Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department on Monday announced that it will organise three religious programmes titled “Ik Shaam Bhagwan Shiv De Naam” in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala on June 27, 28 and 29, respectively. Popular devotional singer Hansraj Raghuwanshi will perform at all three events.
Kejriwal’s three-day presence in Punjab for the programmes will be closely watched as it coincides with the ongoing standoff between the AAP government and the Akal Takht and comes at a time when the party is yet to spell out its response to the Akal Takht’s June 29 summons.
Tourism Department Adviser Deepak Bali said both Kejriwal and Mann would attend the programmes as devotees. The events are scheduled to be held at Ranjit Avenue Ground in Amritsar on June 27, Government College in Gurdaspur on June 28 and SL Bawa School Ground in Batala on June 29.
The announcement assumes significance as it comes days after the Akal Takht censured Mann over a controversial video purportedly featuring him and asked Sikhs to sever ties with him. The Akal Takht has also summoned AAP ministers and MLAs on June 29 in connection with the anti-sacrilege law issue.
So far, the party has not publicly stated whether its ministers and MLAs will appear before the Akal Takht on the scheduled date. Mann has instead adopted a confrontational stance, questioning the Akal Takht Jathedar’s decision and accusing him of “pleasing political masters”.
All eyes were on the Punjab Cabinet meeting held on Monday, the first since the Akal Takht’s directive. All ministers attended the meeting except Dr Baljit Kaur, Tarunpreet Singh Sond and Sanjeev Arora. While government sources said Dr Baljit Kaur was occupied with prior engagements and Sond was abroad, Arora is currently lodged in jail in connection with an Enforcement Directorate case.
A minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, said attendance at the Cabinet meeting was necessary despite the Akal Takht’s appeal. “We had to attend the meeting. You cannot create a constitutional crisis,” the minister said.
Against this backdrop, the government’s emphasis on Hindu religious events is likely to attract political attention. Addressing a press conference alongside Sanatan Seva Samiti national president Vijay Kumar Sharma, Bali said the Mann government was committed to promoting the religious and cultural traditions of all communities.
He highlighted the state-sponsored celebrations of the Hindu New Year (Nav Samvatsar) and said the government had expanded its pilgrimage scheme by adding new circuits covering Khatu Shyam-Salasar, Mathura-Vrindavan and Haridwar-Rishikesh.
Bali said a similar Shiv Sandhya programme organised recently in Jalandhar had witnessed an overwhelming response from devotees. He described Punjab as a sacred land associated with the Vedas, Ramayana, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Puranas and Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and said preserving this heritage was the responsibility of the present generation.
Vijay Kumar Sharma thanked the Mann government for supporting Sanatan traditions and appealed to people from Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Batala and neighbouring areas to participate in large numbers.
Tourism Department Adviser Deepak Bali said both Kejriwal and Mann would attend the programmes as devotees. (File Photo) 
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