Deepfake Falsely Shows Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Intoxicated

A deepfake of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appearing to show him heavily intoxicated and behaving in an erratic manner is being shared on social media as real footage.

BOOM found that the viral video has been manipulated using AI. Face swapping techniques have been used to replace the man in an old video with that of Mann. The original video dates back to May 2017 and shows a different individual making the same gestures.

The Claim

The viral video is being shared with the following caption.

This video is going viral on X and Instagram. It appears to show Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann behaving unusually, making strange noises and seemingly being heavily drunk. Grok can you confirm this is an original video or AI generated video ? @grok https://t.co/idTeJCZwMQ

— Vaishali Poddar Singh (@PoddarVaishali) October 31, 2026

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What We Found

1) Original video dates back to May 2017

Taking a cue from replies to the viral post, we found that the original video was posted on Facebook by the page @Jalandharsadda on May 26, 2017.

The original video shows a different man seated in the same position as Mann appears in the viral video. Even the people in the background are different and are clearly visible compared to the viral video where the people present in the background are blurred.

2) AI Detection Tool results

We also analysed the viral video using Hive Moderation and Meta AI’s identification tool.

Hive Moderation flagged the video as likely to contain AI-generated content, assigning it a 68.6% likelihood of being AI-generated. Meta's tool detected AI signatures embedded in the video.

Delete Edit

3) Mann’s Past Controversies Over Alcohol Consumption

Over the years, several videos purportedly showing Mann in an intoxicated state have surfaced on social media, drawing criticism from his political opponents. In January 2019, Mann had publicly announced that he had stopped drinking alcohol, stating during a rally in Barnala that he had quit starting January 1, 2019, after a request from his mother.