Chandigarh, June 24 -- The political storm surrounding Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann intensified on Wednesday after he dismissed allegations linked to a purported viral video showing the desecration of Sikh Guru photographs, calling it a "well-planned conspiracy" aimed at defaming him.

The controversy has now snowballed into a major political battle, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) defending Mann while Opposition parties demand his resignation and legal action.

The row took a dramatic turn after Gurugram Police apprehended two individuals accused of allegedly fabricating a forensic report that had declared the viral video fake. According to police, the accused allegedly received Rs 10 lakh and claimed that certain Punjab officials ...