Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann confirmed that all AAP MLAs and ministers will appear before the Akal Takht after being summoned over a new sacrilege law. Mann reaffirmed that the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs holds supreme authority for him and his party.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday confirmed that all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and Cabinet ministers will appear before the Akal Takht after being summoned, reaffirming that the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs holds supreme authority for him and his party. Adressing a press conference alongside AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in Amritsar, Mann said, "Our MLAs and ministers have been summoned to Takht Sri Akal Takht Sahib tomorrow for some discussion, to present their point of view. And all our MLAs and ministers will go there. We consider the supremacy of Akal Takht Sahib to be the greatest....all our MLAs and ministers, as they have been called, some ministers have been asked only to clarify their point in writing, they will give it in writing."
Akal Takht Summons AAP Over Sacrilege Law
This comes after the Akal Takht summoned the Punjab Cabinet and all Sikh MLAs across party lines to appear on June 29, seeking an explanation over how a law concerning Sikh religious affairs was passed without consulting them.
Provisions of the New Amendment Bill
The law in question, the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was passed by the Punjab Assembly on April 13 and received the Governor's assent within days. Amending the 2008 Principal Act, the new law provides for a term that may extend to life imprisonment for criminal conspiracy in an offence of sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Guru Granth Sahib with the intention to disrupt peace or communal harmony, and a fine between Rs 5 and 20 lakh. For an offence in the Act, except the offence of sacrilege, the perpetrator shall be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to five years and with a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. The main objective of the legislation was to provide for the punishment of life imprisonment for acts of sacrilege.
Central Register and Custodian Responsibilities
The law also asks the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to maintain a Central Register containing details with regard to the record of printing, storage, distribution, and supply of the Saroops of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The register shall contain a unique identification number of each Saroop, date of printing and publication, date and place of supply, place of storage and the name and address of the custodian. Defining the duties of a custodian, it asks them to ensure safe custody, protection from damage, misuse, or loss in any manner and observance of Sikh Rehat Maryada; and immediate reporting of any incident involving damage, disappearance, or suspected sacrilege to the concerned police and management authorities.
Defining 'Sacrilege'
According to the amendment, published in Gazette on April 12, 2026, "sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib" for the purposes of this Act means any wilful and deliberate act, committed with the intent of desecration by way of physical damaging, defacing, burning, tearing or theft of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib or part thereof, or by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic means or otherwise, which is of such a nature as to hurt the religious feelings of persons professing the Sikh faith. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)