Sikh sacrilege row defined: Akal Takht offers Punjab govt 1 month to amend legislation; Sikh MLAs, ministers agree | India Information
NEW DELHI: The Akal Takht on Monday gave the AAP-led Punjab authorities one month to amend the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkaar (Modification) Act, 2026 in step with Sikh sentiments.The directive got here after the Sikh legislators and ministers appeared earlier than the Akal Takht and agreed to revise the legislation. Responding affirmatively to the Takht’s name, they assured the best temporal seat of Sikhs that the amendments could be made in accordance with Sikh spiritual sentiments inside the stipulated time.
What’s the row about
The row centres on the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Modification) Invoice, 2026, which was handed by the Punjab meeting on April 13 and obtained the governor’s assent inside days. The laws amends the 2008 Act to introduce life imprisonment for these convicted of conspiring to commit sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib with the intent to disturb communal concord, together with a wonderful starting from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Different offences underneath the Act carry imprisonment of as much as 5 years and a wonderful of as much as Rs 10 lakh.The amended legislation additionally requires the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to take care of a central register of each Saroop (bodily copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, together with particulars of its printing, storage, distribution, custodian and a singular identification quantity. Custodians have been tasked with guaranteeing the protected maintaining of the holy scripture and instantly reporting any incident involving harm, disappearance or suspected sacrilege.The controversy erupted after the Akal Takht objected to the way through which the legislation was enacted, alleging that the Punjab authorities did not seek the advice of Sikh spiritual establishments earlier than legislating on a matter regarding the Sikh religion. It subsequently summoned the Punjab Cupboard and all Sikh MLAs throughout social gathering traces to seem on June 29 and clarify why the laws was handed with out taking the Akal Takht or the SGPC into confidence.
