Amritsar, June 29
Sri Akal Takht on Monday ordered the Punjab government to make amendments in the Jagat Jyoti Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026 within a month, directing that the legislation remain suspended until objections are addressed. The directive followed deliberations with Sikh legislators over concerns tied to the newly enacted anti sacrilege law.
Earlier in the day, Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party and opposition Sikh MLAs appeared before the Akal Takht to clarify their stance on the Act, which was passed by the Punjab Assembly without the consent of the supreme Sikh temporal authority or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The Assembly comprises 89 Sikh and 28 non‑Sikh MLAs. Sikh legislators were summoned in person, while non‑Sikh members were instructed to submit written statements. Non Sikh cabinet ministers were also asked to provide written views, though Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was not summoned.
On June 15, Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj had directed all Sikh MLAs and ministers, regardless of party, to appear before the Akal Takht after objecting to the law’s passage without consultation with the Sikh Panth. The Takht had earlier demanded removal of certain provisions, arguing they were “against the Guru Granth Sahib, the Khalsa Panth and the sentiments of the Sangat.” The Act includes harsher penalties, such as life imprisonment, for acts of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
Addressing reporters in Amritsar ahead of the legislators’ appearance on Monday, Jathedar Gargajj sharply criticized the AAP government, accusing it of encroaching upon religious matters and undermining the authority of the Akal Takht.