The chief minister is seen drinking water from the Kali Bein river which is usually polluted with sewage in an attempt to prove that the “holy water” is not polluted.

This stunt immediately backfired as only a few days later, he was admitted to Delhi’s Apollo Hospital, and diagnosed with a stomach infection.

The Kali Bein river in Sultanpur Lodhi is significant for Sikh culture as it is said to be the river where the first guru, Guru Nanak, got enlightenment. To help restore the river, a cleaning project has been ongoing for 22 years, and Mann drank the water to celebrate the same.

Bhagwant Mann’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) completely denied that the chief minister had any infection, and instead stated that he was only visiting the hospital for routine checkups.

But with the video sweeping the media, netizens are speculating that drinking the polluted water is what made Mann end up in the hospital.