Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Jattvibeday announced that all Sikh MLAs and ministers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government would appear before the Akal Takht on June 29 to present the government’s stand on the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026.Addressing a press conference along with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal after a closed-door meeting with Sikh legislators and ministers in Amritsar, Mann said the party respected the authority of the Akal Takht and would submit its written response regarding the legislation.He said non-Sikh MLAs would also send their written submissions to the Akal Takht.“Whatever directions are issued by the Akal Takht or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will be considered by the government,” he said.Responding to a question on the controversial video linked to him, Mann said he would submit his written explanation along with the masked video that had surfaced. Reiterating his earlier stand, he maintained that he was not the person seen in the video.The Chief Minister asserted that he had always respected the Akal Takht and had appeared whenever summoned, recalling that he had even attended during the President’s visit to Punjab.“I can never think of confronting the Akal Takht,” he said.On being asked about the Akal Takht declaring him “Guru Dokhi” and “Panth Dokhi” and calling for his social boycott, Mann said he would accept whatever decision the Sikh sangat took. He claimed that despite boycott calls, he continued to receive support from devotees during his visits to gurdwaras, where people interacted with him and, at some places, even honoured him with siropas.Refusing to comment on whether the Akal Takht’s decision was taken under any pressure, Mann alleged that the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal were jointly trying to give a religious colour to political issues to target him.He questioned whether a similar campaign of putting up posters and hoardings had ever been launched against Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal when he was given religious punishment by the Akal Takht.Meanwhile, Kejriwal also raised the Ayodhya case, alleging that only “small fishes” had been arrested while the main culprits remained untouched. He claimed those arrested had been sent to judicial custody without proper interrogation.Announcing a new religious tourism initiative, Kejriwal said the Punjab Government had taken an in-principle decision to build a grand temple dedicated to Mata Sita and Luv-Kush near the Valmiki Temple at Ram Tirath in Amritsar. He said detailed planning for the project would be finalised soon.