Bhagwant Mann leaves for Bengaluru for detox programme amid Akal Takht row
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has been under scrutiny following the Akal Takht’s decision to declare him a ‘Guru dokhi’ (anti-Guru) and ‘Khalsa panth virodhi’ (anti-Khalsa community).
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s Bengaluru visit comes a day after he launched the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, where the government credited financial aid to around 36 lakh women. (File Photo)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann left for Bengaluru on Thursday morning for a four-day detox programme at a private wellness institute, days after facing censure from the Akal Takht over the controversy surrounding his video message responding to the Sikh temporal body’s criticism.
Sources said Mann boarded a flight at around 7.30 am and is expected to return after four days. “He is likely to come back on Monday. But he may extend his trip,” a source added.
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Mann’s Bengaluru visit comes a day after he launched the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana from his home constituency of Dhuri, where the state government credited financial assistance to around 36 lakh women beneficiaries under its flagship welfare scheme.
The timing of the visit is significant as the chief minister has been under political and religious scrutiny following the Akal Takht’s decision to declare him a “Guru dokhi” (anti-Guru) and “Khalsa panth virodhi” (anti-Khalsa community). The censure followed a video in which Mann criticised the Akal Takht for directing Punjab legislators to amend the state’s anti-sacrilege law. The issue has since dominated Punjab’s political discourse, with Opposition parties stepping up attacks on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
This is not the first time Mann has gone for a detox programme. In October 2022, a few months after assuming office as chief minister, he had travelled to a private wellness facility in Bengaluru for a similar programme. The visit had come amid persistent speculation over his health after videos showing him appearing unwell during public engagements had triggered political attacks.
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AAP had then maintained that the chief minister was undergoing a routine health check-up and detox programme. Mann later resumed official duties after returning and subsequently said publicly that he had given up alcohol.
Government sources maintained that the chief minister’s visit to Bengaluru had been scheduled in advance and was unrelated to the political controversy.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s Bengaluru visit comes a day after he launched the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, where the government credited financial aid to around 36 lakh women. (File Photo) 
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