Seeking changes in the state’s anti-sacrilege law, the Akal Takht has prepared a detailed set of objections and recommendations that will be sent to the government in a couple of days, according to sources.
The move follows the June 29 meeting at the Akal Takht secretariat, where ruling AAP legislator and Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan assured to amend the Act and sought the Takht’s objections.
The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, had come into force in April this year, sparking a major political and religious controversy.
A source said the Akal Takht had suggested at least 10 changes to five clauses of the law. Among the key recommendations, the Takht has sought the removal of all provisions relating to the “custodian” of Guru Granth Sahib.
The Takht also sought the removal of provisions mandating a central register of Guru Granth Sahib birs, uploading their details on an online portal and assigning unique identification numbers.
According to the objections, the Takht is of the opinion that such provisions amount to government interference in Panthic affairs. Another significant objection concerns Clause 7(5)(1), which prescribes imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for violations of the Act’s provisions, excluding the offence of sacrilege.
The temporal authority is objecting to it on the premise that it could be widely misused to settle personal scores by filing false complaints. It has sought clearer safeguards and a more precise definition of the offence.
The Takht has also raised concerns over Section 6A, which empowers the government to frame rules through an official notification. It has recommended that no rules or future amendments to those rules should be notified without prior consultation and approval from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akal Takht.
The Takht has also objected to replacing the traditional Sikh term bir with saroop. While the original 2008 law used the word bir, the proposed amendment substitutes it with saroop.
Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj has argued that the law should address social causes behind sacrilege rather than merely its technical and legal aspects.
According to his argument, the law should not remain confined to punishing the individual who commits sacrilege but should deal with those who instigate, organise or facilitate such acts.
He has drawn parallels with laws relating to dowry deaths and caste-based crimes, where legal liability extends beyond the principal offender to those who provoke or enable the crime.
Gargaj has referred to the 2015 sacrilege incidents and the alleged involvement of followers of Dera Sacha Sauda. He has proposed that if a complainant names the head of a dera or organisation while reporting an act of sacrilege committed by one of its followers, the law should provide for naming the head in the FIR as well, subjected to a transparent investigation.
The Akal Takht has further recommended the establishment of dedicated fast-track courts for expeditious trial of sacrilege cases