SAD claims AAP’s campaign over Sri Akal Takht row falls flat, protests draw poor response
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 20, 2026: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) efforts to build a narrative around Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s appearance before Sri Akal Takht Sahib and its protests against the Akali Dal had failed to gain public support.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, SAD Chief Spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler claimed that AAP’s attempts to gherao and stage demonstrations outside district offices of the Shiromani Akali Dal witnessed a poor response across Punjab.
Kler said videos emerging from various districts indicated that only a limited number of AAP workers participated in the protests despite what he described as extensive mobilisation efforts. “The response to the protests clearly showed that the campaign failed to resonate with the public,” he said.
The SAD leader also referred to the recent controversy surrounding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and videos linked to his deposition before Akal Takht.
According to Kler, the Chief Minister had earlier stated that he had no objection to the videos being examined by forensic laboratories, maintaining that they were fake and generated using artificial intelligence. He said that after the videos were examined, Sri Akal Takht Sahib released its findings and issued its observations on the matter.
Kler alleged that following those developments, AAP leaders adopted a different position regarding the authenticity of the videos. He further claimed that only a few party leaders, including AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu, had publicly defended the Chief Minister, while several others had remained silent.
The SAD spokesperson accused the ruling party of attempting to challenge the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib instead of accepting its position on the matter. He said the Chief Minister should respond to the issue with humility and avoid creating what he described as an atmosphere of confrontation.
The remarks come amid an ongoing political dispute between the ruling AAP and the Shiromani Akali Dal over the controversy surrounding the videos and the subsequent reactions from both sides.