Jun 29, 2026 01:15 PM

Hold the law: Jathedar orders govt

The Jathedar said the law should be put on hold. He said the two provisions related to the custodian are not acceptable. Suggestions regarding the unique number should be given to Sri Akal Takht Sahib. It will not be uploaded on the website. The word “Beadbi” (disrespect) is their own term. Whether spoken, written or through electronic means, disrespect means the same thing. He also said that even the Chief Minister spoke incorrectly yesterday.

Kultar Singh Sandhwan said the law has been drafted keeping in mind incidents of disrespect of Guru Granth Sahib on social media.

The Jathedar said while working, it seems you did not realise that what was the responsibility of Sri Akal Takht Sahib is now being taken over by the government. The authority of the Panth has been taken over by the state. Where there is interference in Panthic authority, that should be corrected. The law should be put on hold until these changes are made. After that, processions should be taken out not just in Punjab but across India.

He also said that a new law should be prepared after research within one month.

The Jathedar said the government informed Sri Akal Takht Sahib that the law has been brought under the directives (hukamnamas) of Sri Akal Takht. But do you actually make laws according to the hukamnamas of Sri Akal Takht Sahib? There should be 24-hour sewadars (volunteers) appointed in Gurdwaras. This should be done.

He added that since the law has already been made, it should be reviewed properly. The responsible people should speak to him over the phone within one month regarding this.

Jun 29, 2026 12:59 PM

Objections raised by Sri Akal Takht Jathedar

Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, said he has no objection to the government enacting strict laws to punish those guilty of sacrilege. He said framing criminal laws and deciding punishments is the government's authority, but several provisions in the proposed legislation have raised serious concerns.

Objection over Sikh terminology

The Jathedar objected to replacing the word "Bir" (saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib) with "Saroop" in the legislation. He said the Punjab Legislative Assembly does not have the authority to define or alter Sikh religious terminology.

He added that referring to the holy scripture as "Bir Saroop" would not have attracted objections, but changing the established terminology is not within the government's jurisdiction.

'Custodian' term should be decided by Panth

The Jathedar also objected to the use and definition of the term "Custodian" in the Bill. He said deciding who can be entrusted with the responsibility of a Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is a matter that falls exclusively within the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Sikh Panth.

According to him, the government cannot define religious roles through legislation and should remove this provision from the Bill.

Objection to Unique Identification Number

The Jathedar said there is no objection to maintaining registers for Saroops, as such records already exist. However, he opposed the proposal to assign a unique identification number to every Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

He said under the Sikh Rehat Maryada, decisions relating to religious practices are taken by the Sikh Panth through Gurmat, not by the Legislative Assembly. The government may offer suggestions, but it cannot issue binding directions on such matters.

Responsibilities of custodians cannot be legislated

The Jathedar further said the Bill cannot prescribe the religious duties and responsibilities of a custodian, including how Sri Guru Granth Sahib should be kept and cared for.

He maintained that these matters fall under the authority of the Sikh Panth and Sri Akal Takht Sahib. If the government wished to propose changes, it should have submitted recommendations to Sri Akal Takht instead of incorporating them into law.

Demand for clarity on accidental damage

The Jathedar reiterated that he supports strict punishment for those found guilty of sacrilege. However, he questioned why the Bill includes provisions beyond punishment for sacrilege.

He also pointed out that the proposed legislation does not clarify that, in the event of an accidental incident, Sri Guru Granth Sahib should not be treated as case property, and said such issues require appropriate safeguards in the law.

Jun 29, 2026 12:34 PM

Akal Takht directs Punjab govt to keep sacrilege law on hold until objections are addressed

Sri Akal Takht Sahib has directed the Punjab Government to keep the law on hold until the objections raised by the Sikh Panth are resolved.

The Jathedar said the government should address all concerns raised by the Panth within one month.

He further stated that a detailed copy of the Panth's objections and recommendations regarding the legislation would be submitted to the Punjab government at the earliest for necessary action.

Jun 29, 2026 12:30 PM

Sri Akal Takht questions AAP MLA over custodian clause, asks why Dera Sacha Sauda chief was not brought to Punjab

During the proceedings at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the Jathedar asked AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh whether he had read the law and questioned him about the meaning of the term "custodian" in the proposed legislation.

Responding to the query, Gurpreet Singh said the role of the custodian would be clearly defined during the drafting process. He added that the provisions would be made explicit and that the intention of the law was to ensure that no guilty person escapes punishment. He also said any recommendations made by Sri Akal Takht Sahib would be incorporated.

The Jathedar then questioned why the Dera Sacha Sauda chief had not been brought to Punjab despite the state government filing a chargesheet against him.

Gurpreet Singh replied that chargesheets had been filed against all those whom the Special Investigation Team (SIT) found responsible. However, when asked what efforts the Punjab government had made to bring the Dera Sacha Sauda chief to Punjab, the MLA did not offer a response.

Jun 29, 2026 12:02 PM

Jun 29, 2026 11:57 AM

Sukhpal Singh Khaira:

"The Punjab Legislative Assembly functions in a paperless mode. We received the Bill online only when the Assembly session began."

"We simply did not get enough time to read and understand the Bill. We are not experts who can immediately grasp every legal provision."

"Even today, I am still trying to understand the definition of the term 'custodian' used in the Bill."

"By that interpretation, even Sri Akal Takht Sahib could, in the future, be held responsible in certain situations."

"We raised these concerns and requested more time for deliberation."

"We also asked why the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), an elected body, was not consulted before introducing the legislation."

"Our objections are on record. We questioned why this Bill was brought in such a secretive manner and with such urgency."

"I am confident that many Cabinet ministers themselves had not read the Bill thoroughly."

"The Opposition was given only 20 minutes to speak on such an important piece of legislation."

Jun 29, 2026 11:47 AM

Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa

"Jathedar Ji, the draft of the Bill was approved during the Cabinet meeting held on April 11."

"We received the Bill on April 13."

"As our Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader also stated, we objected and requested that more time be given for discussion."

"However, our request was not accepted."

"We were told that only two minutes would be given to speak, but in reality, we were not even given the opportunity to present our views in the House."

Jun 29, 2026 11:46 AM

Bibi Ganieve Kaur:

"I did not attend the Assembly session."

"The directive from Sri Akal Takht Sahib was that approval should first be obtained before the Bill was passed. That is why I chose not to attend."

"I felt there was no point in going to the House because members are not allowed to speak freely."

"Whenever someone tries to raise an issue, they are insulted and humiliated. Such disrespect is shown without any thought, and members are often subjected to humiliation instead of being heard."

Jun 29, 2026 11:44 AM

Kulwant Singh also denied reading the Draft.

Jun 29, 2026 11:43 AM

Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj

"Had you read the Bill?"

Jagroop Singh:

"No, I had not read it."

He further admitted that although he had given his approval, he had not actually read the Bill before doing so.

Jun 29, 2026 11:43 AM

Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj:

"When it was suggested that consultations should be held, why were they not? Whenever a law is drafted, the draft is usually made public and stakeholders are consulted. On what date did your Cabinet approve this Amendment Bill?"

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan:

"It was approved on the day of 13 April, by Guru Sahib's grace."

Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj:

"Sardar Pargat Singh, when did the draft reach you after it was approved by the Cabinet?"

Pargat Singh:

"It reached us around 9 pm on April 12. At 8:50 PM, I had even released a video requesting that Singh Sahibs be consulted because the atmosphere was becoming highly charged."

"I had also addressed the media on April 5, and even before that, I had repeatedly raised this matter."

"Cases of sacrilege have been occurring since 2015, yet no one wants to discuss them, regardless of which party is in power."

"My only question is: why should there not be a proper discussion? Eventually, all these cases will end up in court. No one even wants to mention the name of Ram Rahim, although everyone knows the background of this Bill."

"Today, Maharashtra is also introducing similar legislation. Our only request is that such matters should be considered carefully and after due deliberation."

"Instead, an atmosphere is created where anyone seeking discussion is branded as being against the Bill or even as a traitor."

"We were not given enough time to study the draft properly. Political leaders cannot be expected to understand every legal and religious aspect without consultation."

"I believe that even today, as we are all sitting together, there is still room for meaningful dialogue. Had the government consulted Sikh intellectuals at the very beginning, a constructive solution could have emerged. Unfortunately, the government did not provide sufficient time for that process."

Jun 29, 2026 11:37 AM

Partap Singh Bajwa's statement

Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said he had requested the Speaker that a Select Committee, headed by Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, had already been constituted under Section 224 to examine the matter and submit its report.

He stated that the law itself requires the committee to complete its work, adding that the panel has been working on the issue for the past nine months. According to Bajwa, the committee's report should first be tabled in the Punjab Assembly before any further legislative action is taken.

Bajwa said the committee had consulted various stakeholders, including Sikh advisors, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and Sant Samaj representatives. He questioned what views and recommendations had been included in the committee's report.

He had urged the Speaker to first allow a detailed discussion on the Select Committee's findings and then extend the Assembly session by an additional day to debate the new Bill.

Bajwa added that while the Opposition welcomes the government's efforts to introduce legislation, the committee's report—prepared after extensive consultations over nine months—should be presented and debated before taking up the proposed Bill.

Jun 29, 2026 11:32 AM

LIVE PROCEEDINGS ON PTC NEWS | WATCH HERE

Jun 29, 2026 11:32 AM

Senior Sikh religious leaders lead ardas at Sri Akal Takht Sahib

The Ardas was led in the presence of acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj

Also present were Head Granthi of Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib, Giani Baljit Singh, Giani Kewal Singh, and Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Giani Tek Singh.

Panj Piaras of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, including Giani Mangal Singh, were also present

Jun 29, 2026 11:30 AM

Jun 29, 2026 11:30 AM

AAP ,inisters and MLAs arrive at Sri Harmandir Sahib ahead of appearance at Sri Akal Takht Sahib

Jun 29, 2026 11:29 AM

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅੱਗੇ ਪੇਸ਼ ਹੋਣ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਆਪ ਦੇ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ ਜੀਓ,
ਹਰ ਵਾਰ ਦੀ ਤਰਾਂ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੀ ਬੋਲਣਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਕੀ ਨਹੀਂ, ਇਸ ਬਾਬਤ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਤੋਂ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਫੁਰਮਾਨ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਹੱਥ ਫੜਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ, ਕਿ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਸਾਇਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਤੇ ਦੇਣਾ ਹੈ।
ਪਰ ਯਾਦ ਰੱਖੋ, ਇਹ ਸੱਚੇ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹ ਦਾ ਤਖਤ ਹੈ, ਇਹ ਕੋਈ…

— Sunil Jakhar (@sunilkjakhar) June 29, 2026

Jun 29, 2026 11:29 AM

READ IN PUNJABI Sri Akal Takht Sahib Live Updates : ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵਿਖੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਵਿਧਾਇਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਪੇਸ਼ੀ, ਨਵੇਂ ਬੇਅਦਬੀ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ’ਤੇ ਦੇ ਰਹੇ ਸਪਸ਼ਟੀਕਰਨ

Jun 29, 2026 11:28 AM

AAP MLA Gurdit Sekhon declines to answer questions on Sri Akal Takht directives

AAP MLA Gurdit Sekhon avoided answering questions raised by PTC News

MLAs allegedly met the Chief Minister despite directions issued by Sri Akal Takht Sahib

The meeting with the Chief Minister reportedly took place after demands to declare CM Bhagwant Mann as Guru Dokhi and Panth Virodhi

Gurdit Sekhon declined to respond when asked whether the meeting amounted to a violation of Sri Akal Takht Sahib's directives

The AAP MLA refused to answer repeated questions from PTC News on the issue.

Jun 29, 2026 11:27 AM

Jun 29, 2026 11:26 AM

Jun 29, 2026 11:26 AM

All Sikh ministers and MLAs to appear before Sri Akal Takht Sahib

The appearance of ministers and legislators is scheduled for 11 am

MLAs will arrive under the leadership of Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan

Non-Sikh ministers and MLAs will submit their responses in writing

MLAs from the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal will also appear before Sri Akal Takht Sahib

Independent MLAs are also expected to remain present at Sri Akal Takht Sahib