BJP leader HS Phoolka on Tuesday advised the Punjab Government against amending the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, saying it exclusively governed matters related to the printing, publication and distribution of Guru Granth Sahib.
He also said the anti-sacrilege law in the state should be framed in consultation with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Phoolka’s remarks come as the SGPC convened a meeting of Panthic outfits on Monday, after the state government called a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on April 13 to propose amendments to the Act to tackle sacrilege cases.
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The proposed amendment is expected to include stringent penalties, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and heavy fines for acts of sacrilege.
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Talking to The Tribune, Phoolka said while the government was free to enact an anti-sacrilege law, any modification to the Act would be akin to violating the Nehru–Master Tara Singh Pact of 1959.
The agreement, signed on April 12, 1959, restricts government interference in Sikh religious affairs and grants the SGPC exclusive authority over legislation related to gurdwara affairs.
“The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008 has given exclusive rights to the SGPC to maintain the decorum of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, be its publication or distribution. No alteration or addition in it should be made in it”, he said.
He said the government should consult SGPC over the issue.
The gathering convened by the SGPC at its headquarters in Amritsar witnessed the absence of the two Sikh bodies —Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC).
Delhi gurdwara panel president Harmeet Singh Kalka said he learned about the SGPC’s congregation only through media.
He criticised the SGPC for terming the event an “All-India level congregation” without informing or inviting the Sikh bodies of Delhi and Haryana.
“The SGPC, it appeared, has deliberately refrained from inviting the DSGMC and the HSGMC to avoid discomfort for its political arm — SAD,” he said.
Haryana gurdwara panel president Jagdish Singh Jhinda said, “Had we received a formal invitation, either I or one of our representatives would certainly have attended, especially given the seriousness of the issue.