Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann defends sacrilege law amid criticism from Akal Takht

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday strongly defended the state government’s new law against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. He spoke during his visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where he took part in a “Shukrana Yatra” to thank people after the law was passed.

The new law aims to bring stricter punishment in cases related to the disrespect or sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism. The Punjab government recently passed the Bill in the state Assembly with support from all political parties.

However, the law has also faced criticism from some Sikh religious leaders. Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj expressed concern that the government did not hold proper discussions with Panthic organisations and religious bodies before passing the law.

Despite the criticism, Bhagwant Mann said the government had carefully prepared the law after detailed consultation with legal experts and Sikh scholars. He said the aim was to make a strong law that would not need future amendments.

Speaking to the media outside the Golden Temple, Mann said the draft of the law was prepared with help from well-known Sikh lawyers. According to him, the government wanted to ensure the law was legally strong and fully effective.

The chief minister avoided directly attacking Akal Takht but strongly criticised the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). He questioned the SGPC’s authority and said elections for the body had not been held for 14 years.

Mann said the Sikh community around the world had accepted the law and questioned why the SGPC was opposing it. He also claimed that some people objecting to the law were connected to earlier sacrilege cases.

Debate over consultation process

One of the major issues raised by Sikh leaders is whether enough consultation took place before the law was passed. Critics believe the government should have spoken more widely with Panthic organisations, religious scholars, and Sikh institutions.

The issue became more serious after Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was summoned by Akal Takht for discussions on May 8 regarding the law.

Responding to this, Bhagwant Mann said the Speaker would present his side before Akal Takht. He explained that the law had already been passed unanimously in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha after approval from the state cabinet.

Mann also pointed out that members of the Sant Samaj were present in the governor’s gallery when the Bill was passed in the Assembly. According to him, this showed that religious representatives were aware of the process.

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The chief minister said the Speaker’s role was limited to reading out the Bill during the Assembly session. He again repeated that the law had the support of the Sikh community and that only a few organisations were unhappy.

The issue of sacrilege has remained highly emotional and sensitive in Punjab for many years. Several sacrilege incidents in the past led to major protests and political controversy in the state.

Because of this, many people in Punjab have demanded stricter punishment for such crimes. The government says the new law was introduced to address these concerns and ensure stronger legal action in future cases.

Mann attacks BJP and Akali Dal

During his speech at Rayya town, Bhagwant Mann also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

He accused the BJP of having an “anti-Punjab mindset” and referred to the deaths of around 700 farmers during the farmers’ protest against the central farm laws.

Mann said Punjab would never forget what happened during the agitation. He also accused the BJP of trying to weaken Punjab’s rights, resources, and identity through different actions.

The chief minister mentioned several issues, including disputes over Punjab’s river waters, Chandigarh, Panjab University, and Aam Aadmi Clinics. According to him, these actions showed that the BJP was not working in Punjab’s interest.

He further claimed that the BJP uses divisive politics and warned that if the Shiromani Akali Dal forms an alliance with the BJP again, it would harm Punjab.

Mann described the possible BJP-SAD alliance as an “unholy alliance” based on political survival rather than public welfare. He said both parties were “two sides of the same coin.”

The Punjab chief minister also criticised the Akali leadership and the Badal family. He accused them of controlling religious institutions for political purposes and appointing office-bearers based on family influence.

According to Mann, the Akali Dal has lost public trust because of its political decisions over the years. He also said the Congress party could not be trusted because of what he called its “dubious political character.”

At the same time, Mann thanked the people of Punjab for continuing to support his government and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The debate over the new sacrilege law is likely to continue in Punjab in the coming days. While the government says the law is necessary to protect religious sentiments, some religious leaders believe wider discussions should have taken place before it was passed.

In simple terms, the Punjab government has defended its new anti-sacrilege law as an important step to protect Guru Granth Sahib, while some Sikh organisations continue to question the process followed before the law was approved.