While CM Mann has been out of Punjab for 10 days, AAP’s bid to downplay the row seems to be a “calculated” move to keep the focus on its government’s welfare agenda.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has largely avoided the controversy surrounding the removal of the movie “Satluj” from an over-the-top (OTT) platform just two days after its release on July 3. Since he has been out of the state for ten days, his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is left to handle the situation and take on the opposition.
On July 2, CM Mann left to be admitted to a private wellness center in Bengaluru, which sparked the controversy. Since then, the state’s opposition parties, which include the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and BJP, have been at odds over the movie, which is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. They have traded accusations regarding Punjab’s militancy years in an attempt to gain political ground ahead of the Assembly elections that are scheduled for February 2027. However, the chief minister has not yet addressed the topic or addressed political criticism from groups such as the Akali Dal.
During his present stay outside of Punjab, Mann only spoke to the public via a video message pleading with them to finish the Election Commission’s (EC) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral records. The chief minister alerted the populace to the possibility of losing access to government assistance programs, such as the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, if their names are not on the voting records.
Even as the current political discourse in Punjab remains centred on Satluj, Mann kept his messaging focused on voter enrolment and his government’s flagship welfare programme, steering clear of the increasingly emotive debate over the film.
However, the AAP had a discussion about the matter. According to sources, the party evaluated Satluj’s potential political influence, particularly as it revisits Punjab’s militant years at a time when radical voices seem to have resurfaced in some areas of the state.
One worry, according to AAP officials, was whether the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), led by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who has been detained in Dibrugarh prison under the National Security Act (NSA) since 2023, would gain politically from the increasing emphasis on militancy.
Simultaneously, there was another opinion inside the AAP that the movie was not likely to result in any major political advancements for the group.
“There is internal discussion over the Satluj row, but there is no fear. A top AAP official stated, “There is also a view that sometimes talking about an issue only makes it bigger.”
The remark was shared by another AAP senior. Sometimes responding to a problem just makes things worse. The leader said, “Why make it bigger with a reaction from the CM?”
