Sri Akal Takht Sahib Meeting: Sikh Bodies Disapproves Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act, Punjab Assembly Speaker called for Discussion on May
Amritsar, May 3 — A special gathering of Sikh institutions, organisations, scholars, legal experts, and intellectuals was convened today at Bhai Gurdas Hall in Amritsar by the Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj. The meeting aimed at holding detailed deliberations on “The Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026” and matter related to Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana.
A large number of Sikh thinkers and representatives from various organisations participated in the meeting and expressed their views in an open environment.
In view of the concerns and objections raised within the Sikh community regarding the “The Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026” passed by the Punjab Government, Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj has called Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to the Secretariat of Sri Akal Takht Sahib on May 8, 2026, at 11 am for detailed discussions.
During the meeting, several speakers expressed that the “The Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026” passed by the Punjab Government amounts to direct interference in Sikh religious affairs. They noted that instead of focusing on punishing those responsible for sacrilege and delivering justice to Sikhs, the law places greater responsibility on Sikh institutions, gurdwara managements, the sangat, granthis, and followers of Sri Guru Nanak Dev. It was also observed that such measures could create obstacles in the propagation of Sikh faith and may alienate the Sikh community from the Guru Sahib.
Jathedar Gargajj stated that a consensus emerged in the meeting that the amended Act passed by the present Punjab Government without the consent of the Khalsa Panth and Sri Akal Takht Sahib should not be accepted. He reiterated that Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has been invited for a clause-by-clause discussion on the Act and will be asked why Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) were not taken into confidence before enacting the law.
He emphasized that any amendments made by the government cannot be accepted by the Khalsa Panth without its approval. He asserted that matters related to Sri Guru Granth Sahib are internal religious affairs of the Sikh community, and no government can impose laws on Sikhs in this regard. The government, he said, must clarify why representative Sikh institutions were ignored.
The Jathedar clarified that the Khalsa Panth does not oppose strict laws aimed at punishing those guilty of sacrilege. However, bringing Sikh sentiments, concerns, and matters related to Sri Guru Granth Sahib under the ambit of state legislation is unacceptable.
Referring to sacrilege incidents in Punjab, he said that despite two successive governments since the incidents began, the real culprits have not been brought to justice. He pointed out that cases related to the 2015 sacrilege incidents were transferred outside Punjab, and the present government has not made concrete efforts to bring them back. He questioned why Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, accused in major sacrilege cases, has not been brought to Punjab or acted against. He also linked the Dera chief to the 2017 Maur bomb blast and questioned who was responsible for the killing of seven innocent people.
On the issue of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana, Jathedar Gargajj questioned the Centre government’s double standards. He said that when prisoners convicted of killing hundreds have been released by the President of India, why Sikhs are being treated differently. He added that if convicts in the Prime Minister’s assassination case can be released, then why not in the case involving a state Chief Minister.
He said that the Centre government will have to make it clear that why it is adopting a dual police with the Sikhs. He further noted that in 2019, on the 550th Prakash Gurpurb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Centre government had issued a notification to commute Bhai Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment, but even by 2026, this has not been implemented. He said that detailed deliberations have been held on the issue, and an appropriate decision will be taken in the near future. The gathering unanimously expressed solidarity with all Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners) and Bhai Rajoana.