Akal Takht summons Punjab MLAs, ministers on Jun 29 over newly-passed sacrilege law

Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, has summoned all Sikh MLAs and ministers in Punjab to appear before it on June 29 and directed non-Sikh legislators and ministers to submit written explanations over the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2026, which prescribes life imprisonment for sacrilege of the Sikh holy scripture.

The move comes months after the Punjab Assembly passed the legislation on April 13, providing for stringent punishment in cases of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, including life imprisonment and hefty fines. The summonses cover 78 Sikh MLAs from across Punjab, nine Sikh cabinet ministers and five non-Sikh cabinet ministers in the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government.

According to the directives, all 78 Sikh MLAs, including Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, and nine Sikh cabinet ministers have been asked to appear before Akal Takht on June 29, while non-Sikh ministers and legislators have been directed to submit written explanations by the same date.

The summonses have been issued to legislators across party lines, including Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, Congress leader Pargat Singh, AAP ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Harjot Singh Bains, Balbir Singh and Gurmeet Singh Khudian, besides Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan. Non-Sikh ministers Sanjeev Arora, Aman Arora, Barinder Kumar Goyal, Lal Chand Kataruchak and Mahinder Bhagat have been asked to furnish written responses.

The Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2026, was passed unanimously by the Punjab Assembly amid growing demands for stricter punishment in sacrilege cases.

Chief Minister Mann had described the legislation as a landmark step aimed at protecting religious sentiments and maintaining social harmony in the state. He had said the law would help curb incidents of sacrilege and enable authorities to take swift action against offenders.

The sacrilege law provides for life imprisonment and substantial financial penalties for those found guilty of desecrating the Sikh holy scripture.

While the Akal Takht has not publicly detailed the specific grounds on which explanations have been sought from legislators, the issuance of notices to all MLAs and ministers signals its intent to seek accountability and clarification over the enactment of the law.

The development is expected to trigger political and religious discussions in Punjab, where issues related to sacrilege have remained highly sensitive and have often influenced public discourse and electoral politics.

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