Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has left for Bengaluru to attend a four-day vipassana meditation session at a private wellness centre, according to party sources. This development comes amid a controversy surrounding a video clip that led to Mann being declared ‘Guru Dokhi’ (anti-Guru) by the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht’s edict was issued after Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj claimed that the video, which purportedly shows a man resembling Mann, was found to be ‘authentic’ by two forensic laboratories.
Mann is expected to return by Monday. This is not the first time the Chief Minister has visited Bengaluru for a wellness programme, having previously attended a naturopathy programme at a private nature care centre in February this year. On Wednesday, Mann launched his government’s monthly financial assistance scheme for women, Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojna, in Dhuri.
Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon has criticized Mann’s decision to leave for Bengaluru, citing the state’s ongoing struggles with floods, economic crisis, and farmers’ hardships. Dhillon alleged that the government’s priorities are misplaced and that Punjab’s interests are being ignored. He also claimed that the people of Punjab will demand accountability from the government in the coming months and respond decisively in the elections.