Mohali court declares viral video against CM Mann fake: Orders its removal within 24 hours, Court directs google to block search results
Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab leader Baltej Pannu on Thursday slammed the opposition for circulating fake video targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, calling it a “desperate and disgraceful attempt at character assassination” by political rivals who have failed to find a single instance of corruption or wrongdoing in nearly four years of AAP’s governance in Punjab.
Addressing a press conference at the party office in Chandigarh, Pannu revealed that the Mohali court has categorically declared the viral video as fake and directed that all such videos be removed from every platform (Facebook and Google) within 24 hours. The court has also ordered that the video must not appear even in search results, warning that strict legal action will be taken against those who fail to comply.
“The Hon’ble Mohali Court’s decision is clear, the video is fake, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to malign the image of the Chief Minister. The court has ordered its immediate removal and even directed Google to ensure that it does not appear in searches,” said Pannu.
He said the person responsible for spreading this fake content resides in Canada and already faces multiple allegations of fraud. “This is the same individual who earlier tried similar tactics against a Union Minister. The outcome of that episode is known to everyone, his lies collapsed in public,” he added.
Pannu further exposed how dozens of BJP-linked social media accounts amplified the fake video, pointing to a coordinated smear campaign. He revealed that accounts sharing the video are either directly managed by BJP functionaries or followed by senior BJP leaders, including, Ashwani Sharma (Punjab BJP Working President), Ajay Sehrawat (BJP Delhi Spokesperson), Pallavi CT (Followed by PM Modi), Sunil Bishnoi (BJP Social Media Incharge, Nagaur), Kapil Mishra (BJP Leader, Delhi), Aand Krishna (BJP Member), Manish Kumar (Advocate, Ministry of Railways), Alok Kumar (Social Media & IT Cell Incharge, UP)
“All these accounts, such as @SanatanPremi∅2, @indixonline, @ramanmalik, @talk_prabhat (Diplomatic Talk), @indianrightwing, @indiantrol etc., are part of the BJP’s propaganda machinery and followed by senior BJP leaders. Their sole purpose is to mislead the public and damage the clean and credible image of CM Bhagwant Mann through fake content,” said Pannu.
He strongly condemned BJP’s Punjab Working President Ashwani Sharma, who questioned why CM Mann had not responded publicly to the issue. “The court verdict was delivered just yesterday. Now that the court itself has declared the video fake and ordered its removal, perhaps Mr. Sharma should question the people who created and circulated it, not the one who has been wronged,” he said.
Pannu said that the real reason behind the BJP and Congress’s frustration is the rise of an honest Chief Minister from a humble, common family. “It pains them that a schoolteacher’s son, a man of the people, rose to become Chief Minister without owing anything to dynastic politics or corruption. When they fail to find corruption or scams, they resort to lies and defamation,” he asserted.
Pannu added that since the formation of the AAP government, not a single allegation of corruption has been proven against any AAP minister or MLA, nor has any link been established between any party leader and criminal activities such as the drug trade, sand mafia etc.
“These opposition parties have nothing to show against our governance, so they have stooped to the lowest level — character assassination. But the people of Punjab are watching, and truth always prevails,” he said.
Pannu thanked the Mohali court for acting swiftly and issuing strict directions for immediate takedown of all defamatory content, emphasizing that cybercrime authorities are already investigating the accounts involved.
“We thank the Hon’ble Court for upholding truth and justice. This is not just an attack on one individual; it is an attack on the dignity of Punjab’s people who elected an honest and hardworking Chief Minister. Those spreading such fake propaganda will be held accountable,” Pannu concluded.