Why is Punjab's anti-sacrilege law facing Akal Takht heat? 5 big points here

The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the "Living Guru" by Sikhs. For centuries, devotees referred to Guru Granth Sahib to find a way when confused in life, recited verses from it as daily prayers, and paid it the highest respect. The AAP-led government in Punjab has brought in a stricter law to prevent the desecration of the holy scripture and prevent acts of sacrilege. However, the stringent law itself has come under strong opposition from the Akal Takht, the highest seat of temporal power of the Sikhs.

The Akal Takht on Monday (June 29) directed the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government to suspend the implementation of its newly enacted anti-sacrilege law and amend its contentious provisions within a month. The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, was passed by the Punjab Assembly in April.

The directive from the Akal Takht came during a hearing attended by Sikh MLAs from both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Opposition in Amritsar, during which several legislators admitted that they had either not fully read or understood the Bill before it was passed in the Punjab Assembly. The meeting with Akal Takht was attended by 69 Sikh MLAs of AAP and 15 from the Congress. The meeting also witnessed the presence of seven non-Sikh MLAs. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was specifically excluded from the meeting as the Akal Takht previously declared him Guru Dokhi (anti-guru) and Khalsa Panth Virodhi (anti-Khalsa Panth) after the controversial video surfaced.

Bgahwant Mann, declared "Guru dokhi" and

The controversy centres around the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, a law the AAP-led Punjab government says is meant to deter sacrilege, but which the Akal Takht argues amounts to state interference in Sikh religious affairs.

We will explain in five points why the Punjab government brought the new law, what are the key changes, and why it has faced criticism from the Akal Takht.

1. WHY DID MANN GOVT BRING NEW ANTI-SACRILEGE LAW?

The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, on April 13, 2026, coinciding with Baisakhi (spring festival). The legislation amends the 2008 Satkar Act, which primarily dealt with the printing and distribution of the Guru Granth Sahib, the scripture that is revered as the living guru in Sikhism.

The AAP government argued that the earlier law was inadequate to deal with repeated incidents of beadbi (sacrilege) of the Guru Granth Sahib, particularly after the 2015 Bargari sacrilege cases that sparked widespread protests and political unrest across Punjab.

The 2015 Bargari case and the deaths in police shootings at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan sparked massive public outrage, led to multiple investigations and commissions, and became a major factor in the electoral defeat of the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government in the 2017 Assembly elections.

Since 2015, Punjab has reported hundreds of sacrilege cases, but convictions have remained low, fuelling demands for stricter legislation.

Successive governments attempted to introduce tougher anti-sacrilege laws in 2016 and 2018, but those efforts failed. The Jaagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, enacted by the AAP government, was a response to the perceived failure to deliver justice in the 2015 sacrilege cases and the continuing demand for stronger legal protection of the Guru Granth Sahib.

2. WHAT IS PUNISHABLE UNDER NEW PUNJAB ANTI-SACRILEGE LAW?

The newly amended anti-sacrilege law significantly expands the scope of punishable offences. It criminalises physical acts such as burning, tearing, damaging or stealing the Guru Granth Sahib, while also covering sacrilege committed through spoken words, written material, symbolic acts, electronic communication, social media posts and even AI-generated content.

Under the law, punishments are imprisonment ranging from seven to 20 years, along with fines between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, for acts of sacrilege. The amendment also introduced harsher punishment for conspiracies allegedly intended to disturb communal harmony, with penalties ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 25 lakh.

To strengthen enforcement of the law, CM Mann's government has made the offences under the Act cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. Investigations must be conducted by officers of at least the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP), while trials are to be held in sessions courts, according to the newly passed law.

3. WHAT IS THE REGISTRY FOR EVERY COPY OF GURU GRANTH SAHIB?

The AAP government in Punjab has described the law as an attempt to prevent organised acts of sacrilege and restore public confidence after years of politically sensitive beadbi incidents. It also marks the government's third attempt in nearly a decade to enact a stricter anti-sacrilege law after previous versions either lapsed or failed to receive approval.

However, the new law also introduces a new regulatory framework for the management of the Guru Granth Sahib. It defines "custodians" responsible for the care of each saroop (true form) of the scripture and directs the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to maintain a central registry assigning a unique identification number to every saroop in Punjab.

Earlier, the physical copies of Guru Granth Sahib used to be referred to as Bir, which is now being referred to as Saroop.

The new law also directs the SGPC to maintain a physical and digital registry of every saroop of the Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab, assigning each one a Unique Identification Number (UIN) along with details such as its printing, publication, location, and custodian.

This provision has become another major point of contention, with the Akal Takht arguing that sacred scriptures cannot be subjected to government oversight.

The Akal Takht argues that sacred scriptures should not be subjected to government-style registration or digital tracking. Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj warned that maintaining such a database, particularly if its details become publicly accessible, could expose the locations of Guru Granth Sahib saroops, private homes and gurdwaras to unnecessary scrutiny or even security risks.

4. WHY IS AKAL TAKHT AGAINST THE TERMS CUSTODIAN AND SAROOP?

The Akal Takht has repeatedly supported strict punishment for genuine acts of sacrilege, but it argues that with the newly passed law, the state government has crossed into matters that fall exclusively within Sikh religious authority.

The primary objection is that the Punjab government legislated on issues concerning the sanctity and management of the Guru Granth Sahib without consulting the Akal Takht, the SGPC, Sikh scholars or the wider Sikh Panth (followers).

Following Monday's hearing, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj directed the Punjab government to keep the law on hold and remove all objections within a month, even if it requires convening a special session of the Punjab Assembly.

One of the most contentious provisions concerns the introduction of the term "custodian". Under the Act, custodians are legally responsible for the care, custody and management of saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib.

The Akal Takht argues that imposing statutory responsibilities on granthis (religious officials), sewadars (volunteers), gurdwara committees and even private individuals who keep saroops could create fear, expose devotees to criminal liability and invite harassment or false cases.

During Monday's proceedings, the issue became particularly contentious when AAP MLA Manjit Singh incorrectly stated that the term "custodian" referred to parents of mentally unstable individuals who commit sacrilege. Manjit Singh said that if mentally unstable individuals do anything wrong, then the parents would be punished.

The law, however, defines custodians as those entrusted with the care and preservation of the Guru Granth Sahib. The explanation drew a sharp rebuke from Gargajj, who sarcastically remarked, "Punjab needs such intelligent people," reported India Today TV's Aseem Bassi and Aman Kumar Bhardwaj.

Another objection relates to the terminology used in the legislation. The Jathedar questioned why the government had attempted to define religious terms through law, objecting to the use of the word Saroop in place of Bir and raising concerns over provisions relating to the SGPC's authority over the printing and publication of Guru Granth Sahib Bir.

Sikh religious leaders also argue that while governments have the authority to punish criminal acts, they cannot legislate on matters concerning Sikh maryada (religious code of conduct), which they say falls solely within the jurisdiction of the Akal Takht and the Sikh Panth.

The Akal Takht Jathedar also emphasised that damaged or worn-out saroops cannot be treated as ordinary or private property. Under Sikh maryada, he said, torn or damaged saroops must be handled with the utmost reverence and respectfully shifted to a designated gurdwara, such as Gurdwara Sri Goindwal Sahib, where the prescribed religious ceremonies and sewa for their final disposition are carried out.

The Akal Takht fears that bringing such matters under statutory regulation could blur the line between criminal law and religious practice.

5. WHY HAS THE ISSUE TAKEN CENTRE STAGE IN PUNJAB POLITICS?

The dispute has evolved beyond a legal disagreement into a broader question about the relationship between the state government and Sikh religious institutions.

During Monday's hearing, legislators from both the ruling AAP and Opposition admitted that the Bill had been circulated shortly before it was passed and that many members had not adequately studied its provisions.

Congress legislators told the Akal Takht they had urged the AAP-led Punjab government to consult the SGPC, Sikh organisations and scholars before introducing legislation affecting such a sensitive religious subject.

The Jathedar also questioned the Punjab government's handling of earlier sacrilege investigations, including the 2015 Bargari cases, asking why key accused had not yet been brought to Punjab for questioning and seeking updates on other pending investigations.

Faced with mounting opposition from the Akal Takht, the Punjab government has now agreed to suspend implementation of the Act while considering amendments to address the objections raised by the Akal Takht.

- Ends