AMRITSAR — In a sharp escalation of political and religious tensions in Punjab, Amritsar Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Aujla’s demands come in response to the historic June 15 directive by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh authority, which officially declared Chief Minister Mann as “Guru Dokhi” (the Guru’s adversary) and “Khalsa Panth Virodhi” (anti-Sikh community).
Aujla urged the Chief Minister to respect the supreme authority of the Sikh Panth and immediately step down from his constitutional post. The Congress MP stated that instead of utilising government machinery to challenge the Akal Takht’s edict, Chief Minister Mann should appear before the sacred institution with complete humility and seek forgiveness for his actions. The controversy stems from a forensic evaluation of an objectionable video that the Akal Takht asserts deeply insulted Sikh religious sentiments, a claim that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has vigorously contested. Opposing Political Interference in Religious Boards
Beyond the immediate crisis in Punjab, Aujla also directed attention toward the autonomous functioning of Sikh religious bodies across state lines. The Amritsar lawmaker expressed strong opposition to any external attempts to meddle in the administrative and spiritual affairs of the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Management Board in Nanded, Maharashtra.
Aujla emphasized the necessity of a strict separation between faith and state, declaring:
“Religious institutions must remain autonomous and free from political or governmental control. Religion and politics must never be mixed.” He concluded his statement by reassuring the Sikh community that his party remains firmly committed to defending the independence, dignity, and sanctity of all Sikh institutions across every available constitutional and democratic forum.