The Akal Takht issued a sharp 15-day ultimatum to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government demanding removal of what it called “objectionable” clauses from the newly passed anti-sacrilege law.
The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was unanimously passed by the Punjab Assembly on April 13 and carries provisions including life imprisonment for acts of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
But the Akal Takht is not satisfied with how the law was drafted or passed.
SGPC Was Left Out, Akal Takht Says
Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj delivered this warning directly to Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who had been summoned to the Akal Takht Secretariat in Amritsar.
He alleged that the draft amendment was prepared on the night of April 11 and passed within just two days. He said the government neither issued a public draft nor sought objections from the Sikh Sangat or Sikh religious institutions before pushing the amendment through. Crucially, no draft was sent either to the Akal Takht or to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
This is the heart of the controversy. The SGPC, which manages Sikh gurdwaras across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, is considered a central pillar of Sikh governance. Bypassing it on such a sensitive matter has deepened the rift.
What Exactly Does This Law Say That Worries The Akal Takht?
Jathedar Gargaj said the Akal Takht has no objection to strict punishment for those guilty of sacrilege. However, provisions placing Guru Granth Sahib, the internal administrative system of Sikhs, the SGPC, Sangat, granthis, gurdwara committees and other sewadars within a legal framework similar to accused persons amount to direct interference in Sikh affairs.
He also flagged that making public on government websites the information about who holds sacred birs of the Guru Granth Sahib is highly objectionable, warning it could expose devout Sikhs to anti-Sikh forces and mischievous elements.
What Happens If The Government Does Not Act?
Gargaj warned that if the government does not remove the offending provisions from the anti-sacrilege law within 15 days, a gathering of the five Singh Sahibs, the highest Sikh priests, would be convened by the Akal Takht and strict action would be taken. He also offered to provide a panel of Sikh legal experts and former judges to help the government revise the law in consultation with the Panth.
Speaker Sandhwan, after the meeting, said: “We are committed to the Panth and will act according to its sentiments.”
CM Bhagwant Mann Holds Firm, Calls It A Political Win
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been categorical that the anti-sacrilege law will not be withdrawn, amended or taken back. He is currently conducting a statewide ‘Shukrana Yatra’ to celebrate the law’s passage.
Mann targeted the Badal family and said, “The entire sangat has accepted the law; only one family is opposing it.”
The Akal Takht Jathedar did not take kindly to this. Gargaj criticised the CM’s celebratory yatra as an act of political mileage, even terming it an “Ahankar Yatra” or prideful journey that amounted to a challenge to Sikh institutions.
Background: Why This Issue Cuts Deep?
The sacrilege debate in Punjab dates back to 2015, when incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib shook the state. Two people were killed in police firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan during protests that followed. No one has been convicted till date.
The new anti-sacrilege law cannot be applied retrospectively, meaning the 2015 accused stand beyond the reach of the law. That unresolved grief continues to simmer in Punjab’s political and religious consciousness.
The coming 15 days will be critical in determining whether the Punjab government engages with the Akal Takht’s concerns on the anti-sacrilege law or whether a deeper institutional standoff between faith and the state begins to unfold.
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