Akal Takht asks Punjab to take again sacrilege legislation
Amritsar:
The Akal Takht on Friday formally rejected the lately enacted controversial new sacrilege act, which offers life imprisonment and a effective of as much as ₹25 lakh for any act of “beadbi (sacrilege)” towards the Guru Granth Sahib. It additionally issued a 15-day ultimatum to the ruling Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) to take away objectionable clauses.
The event got here hours after meeting speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan appeared earlier than performing jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Tek Singh Dhanaula to debate the controversial new anti-sacrilege laws.
“The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is not going to adjust to the Act’s requirement to add data of Guru Granth Sahib “saroops (scriptures)” to a government-monitored web site. Non secular data and the administration of the residing Guru’s sanctity stay the unique area of the Panth (Sikh group) and can’t be subjected to state-mandated digital surveillance,” Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj stated.
The Jaagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Modification) Act , enacted by the Punjab meeting, prescribes stringent punishment, together with life imprisonment and a effective of as much as ₹25 lakh, for the “beadbi” (sacrilege) of the Guru Granth Sahib. It was accredited by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on April 17 this 12 months.
Asserting that the Akal Takht Sahib has no objection to strict punishment being awarded to these responsible of sacrilege, the jathedar warned the Bhagwant Mann authorities that if it doesn’t take away the provisions offending Sikh sentiments from the amended legislation inside 15 days, a gathering of the 5 Singh Sahibs (Sikh clergy) could be convened by Sri Akal Takht Sahib and strict motion could be taken within the matter.
He additional instructed Sandhwan that the Sri Akal Takht Sahib would offer the Punjab authorities with a panel of Sikh authorized specialists and judges who might assist construct consensus on the legislation.
The developments got here a day after chief minister Bhagwant Mann launched into his four-day “Shukrana Yatra” on Wednesday, “to specific gratitude to the Almighty for blessing him with the chance to serve humanity by enacting the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act 2026, which offers for harsher punishment in ‘beadbi’ instances”.
Calling the yatra an affront to Sikh traditions, performing jathedar Gargaj stated: “Temporal authorities can not declare victory over issues of religion with out the consensus of the sangat (group).”
Talking to reporters later, Sandhwan declined to touch upon the proceedings and defended the legislation, saying: “I conveyed that we’re dedicated to the Panth and can act in keeping with its sentiments. What we have now already accomplished was in keeping with the emotions of the Panth.”
Responding to claims that the SGPC was not consulted, Sandhwan added: “Nothing is like that. We received an commercial printed within the newspapers and sought recommendations earlier than the laws. A stricter legislation for sacrilege culprits was the necessity of the hour and we did that. Relaxation, jathedar sahib has his personal factors on this legislation; solely he and his representatives can clarify them. If there are apprehensions over it, it might be addressed within the guidelines to be framed underneath this legislation.”
