Amritsar- President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Harjinder Singh Dhami, has reacted to the Punjab Cabinet’s approval of the “Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Bill 2026”, stating that the information shared with the media by Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema is unclear and confusing.
In a statement issued here, Advocate Dhami said it appears that even the Cabinet Minister himself does not have complete clarity regarding the proposed bill. He pointed out that on one hand, the minister has described it as an entirely new bill, while on the other hand, it has been named the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Bill 2026. He added that the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act 2008 is related to the printing of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, raising the question of whether the government intends to amend the existing Act or introduce a completely new law addressing incidents of sacrilege. This ambiguity, he said, is creating confusion among the Sikh community.
Advocate Dhami further stated that the remarks made by Minister Harpal Singh Cheema regarding the SGPC are far from factual. He clarified that a high-level committee constituted by the SGPC had approached both the government’s select committee and the state government multiple times, but received no response. He also noted that letters written by the SGPC at various times were recently shared with the media as well.
He emphasized that the issue concerning Sri Guru Granth Sahib is deeply connected with Sikh sentiments, and alleged that the government is failing to understand its significance. According to him, the government’s approach suggests that it is merely trying to politicize the matter, which is evident from its statements.
Advocate Dhami further remarked that it seems the minister tasked with briefing the media is merely reading from prepared notes, as he would not have created such confusion by alternately describing the proposal as an amendment and a completely new bill if he had full knowledge of the matter.
He concluded by saying that due to the government’s lack of clarity, Sikh institutions and organizations are now demanding that the draft of the bill be made public.