Govts Refusal To Reconsider Anti Sacrilege Act A Direct Challenge To Akal Takht Jathedar

Escalating its opposition to the Punjab government s Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, the Sikh religious leadership on Sunday warned of stern action against the state government, accusing it of encroaching upon the religious autho... Escalating its opposition to the Punjab government’s Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, the Sikh religious leadership on Sunday warned of stern action against the state government, accusing it of encroaching upon the religious authority of the Panth and disregarding concerns raised by the community. Addressing a Panthic convention convened by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at Baba Bakala in Amritsar, acting Akal Takht jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said the Bhagwant Mann-led government had failed to respond to Sikh objections despite being given 15 days to review the legislation. He said the chief minister’s refusal to reconsider the Act amounted to a direct challenge to Akal Takht. He said a strict decision will be taken against the government in the Sikh clergy meeting to be held after Operation Bluestar anniversary falling on June 6. The convention, attended by representatives of leading Sikh organisations, Nihang sects, religious seminaries and Panthic institutions, unanimously called for immediate amendments to the law. Participants maintained that while Sikhs fully support stringent punishment for sacrilege, several provisions of the Act threaten the autonomy of Sikh religious institutions and traditions. The Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill on April 13. Following this, governor Gulab Chand Kataria granted his official assent, bringing the Act into force on April 20. The highest temporal seat of the Sikhs rejected the Act on May 8, terming certain provisions objectionable. Following discussions involving Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan with Sikh high priests, including the acting jathedar and Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Tek Singh Dhanaula, the religious body gave the state government a 15-day deadline to remove the clauses. According to officials, the objections were formally conveyed in writing to the government on May 11, with the deadline counted from that date. However, even after the ultimatum period expired, the state government has not issued any formal response. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann defended the legislation, arguing it was passed after careful deliberation with Sikh legal experts and that there was no question of repealing or altering it. During the Panthic convention, Giani Gargaj described the legislation as “sweet poison”, alleging that under the guise of protecting the sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib, the government was attempting to institutionalise interference in Sikh affairs. “The issue is not punishment for sacrilege. The Sikh community has always demanded the strictest punishment for those responsible. The concern is that the government has sought to regulate matters related to Sikh maryada and religious functionaries, which falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Panth,” he said. The acting jathedar maintained that the Punjab assembly has no authority to define Sikh religious doctrines or practices. “Governments are temporary, but Akal Takht Sahib is