Amid ‘Satluj’ storm in Punjab, why CM Bhagwant Mann remains silent

Amid a raging political storm in Punjab in the wake of removal of the film “Satluj” from an OTT platform just two days after its release on July 3, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has largely stayed away from the controversy, leaving his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to deal with it and take on the Opposition as he has been out of the state for 10 days.

The row erupted after CM Mann left to get admitted to a private wellness centre in Bengaluru on July 2. Since then, the state Opposition parties, including the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP, sparred over the film – based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra – traded charges over Punjab’s militancy years and sought to derive political mileage in the run-up to the Assembly elections due in February 2027. So far, however, the CM has neither commented on the controversy nor responded to political attacks from parties like the Akali Dal.

The only time Mann addressed the public during his current stay outside Punjab was through a video message urging people to complete the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission (EC). The CM warned the people that those whose names do not figure in the electoral rolls could also lose access to government welfare schemes, including the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana.

He also appealed to eligible women to register under this financial assistance scheme.

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.

The issue, however, was discussed within the AAP. Sources said the party assessed the possible political impact of Satluj, especially because it revisits Punjab’s militancy years at a time when radical voices appear to have re-emerged in parts of the state.

According to AAP sources, one concern was whether the renewed focus on militancy could politically benefit the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) headed by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who has been lodged in Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA) since 2023.

At the same time, another view within the AAP was that the film was unlikely to translate into any significant political gains for the outfit.

“It (the Satluj row) is being discussed internally, but there is no panic. There is also a view that sometimes talking about an issue only makes it bigger,” a senior AAP functionary said.

Another AAP leader echoed the sentiment. “Sometimes when you react to an issue, you only end up amplifying it. Why make it bigger with a reaction from the CM?” the leader said.

AAP’s stance

Instead of Mann, the AAP organisation and its other government functionaries have responded to the controversy.

Punjab AAP president Aman Arora said the state would not oppose private screenings of Satluj and that decisions on the film’s exhibition rested with the Centre.

Mann’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Baltej Pannu, also addressed a press conference after questions were raised over the premature release of convicts in the Jaswant Singh Khalra murder case. Pannu said the Mann government had not signed any file relating to the convicts’ release and sought to place responsibility on previous governments.

The AAP government has also maintained that remission in such cases followed established legal and administrative procedures, while accusing the Opposition of selectively presenting facts to target the present dispensation. The response reflected an attempt to distance the government from an emotionally charged political debate while allowing designated spokespersons to answer specific allegations.

Opposition’s attack

The SAD has sought to capitalise on the renewed discussion around Punjab’s militancy years by organising screenings of the film in villages and projecting it as a reminder of alleged excesses committed by the state during that period. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said he would personally screen the biopic in villages across the state.

The principal Opposition Congress questioned the timing of the film’s release, suggesting it coincided with politically sensitive developments in the state. Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa said, “Those who got the movie made have banned it. Then released it on OTT and have now banned it again.”

For the AAP, entering the debate carried political risks regardless of the position it took. Openly supporting the film could have alienated sections sensitive to Punjab’s troubled past, while opposing it could have invited allegations of suppressing uncomfortable historical narratives. Remaining largely silent, party leaders suggested, was a calculated political choice.

The strategy also coincided with the government’s effort to keep public attention on its welfare agenda. During the same period, registrations under the women financial aid scheme rose from around 36 lakh at its launch on July 1 to over 64 lakh within 10 days. The government actively promoted the scheme, which it considers one of its flagship initiatives fulfilling a key election promise.

AAP MP and party spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang defended Mann’s approach. “The CM is away. Whatever the party is saying is on his behalf. We are all saying that the Congress and the SAD have been exposed,” he said.