Outlook Explains | What Is Punjab's Anti-Sacrilege Law And Why Has It Become So Controversial?

Punjab's anti-sacrilege law has come under scrutiny after the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, directed the Punjab government to amend several of its provisions within a month, saying they hurt Sikh religious sentiments and interfere with matters of faith.

On Monday, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj summoned Sikh MLAs, including ministers from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and asked the government to put the implementation of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026 on hold until suitable changes are made. While the state argues that the law is meant to curb repeated incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib, Sikh religious bodies say several of its provisions amount to state interference in religious affairs, triggering a fresh confrontation between the Punjab government and the Sikh religious establishment.

What Does The New Law Say?

The Punjab government's attempt to enact a stricter anti-sacrilege law began in July last year, when it proposed legislation prescribing life imprisonment for acts of sacrilege against the holy texts of all major religious communities, including Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. That draft was referred to a select committee for wider consultation.

However, in April this year, the government instead chose to amend an existing law regulating the printing, publication, storage and distribution of the Guru Granth Sahib.

On April 13, coinciding with Baisakhi, the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The legislation amended the 2008 Act to introduce stricter punishments specifically for sacrilege involving the Guru Granth Sahib.

The law defines sacrilege as "any wilful and deliberate act" committed with the intent of desecration through physical damage, defacement, burning, tearing or theft of the Saroop—a physical copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, regarded by Sikhs as the living Guru—or any part of it.

It also expands the definition to include spoken or written words, signs, visual representations or electronic communication that hurt the religious feelings of those professing the Sikh faith.

The AAP government argued that existing legal provisions were inadequate to deal with repeated incidents of beadbi (sacrilege), particularly after the 2015 Bargari sacrilege cases, which triggered widespread protests and political unrest across Punjab.

The Punishments Proposed Under The Act

Under the amended law, sacrilege is punishable with a minimum prison term of seven years, extendable up to 20 years, along with a fine ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

If the offence is committed as part of a conspiracy intended to disrupt communal harmony or public peace, the punishment can extend to life imprisonment, along with fines of up to Rs 25 lakh.

The law also requires the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the only body authorised to print and publish the Guru Granth Sahib, to maintain a central register of every Saroop. The register must record details such as printing, publication, storage, distribution, the custodian of each copy, and assign it a unique identification number.

Before the new legislation, sacrilege cases in Punjab were investigated under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the equivalent of the former Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code. That provision applied to all religions and criminalised deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, carrying a maximum punishment of three years' imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Why Was It Passed On Baisakhi?

The legislation was passed on April 13 during a special session of the Punjab Assembly held in Anandpur Sahib on the occasion of Baisakhi.

The day marks the anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh establishing the Khalsa Panth in 1699. By choosing this date and venue, the AAP government sought to symbolically associate itself with protecting the Sikh faith and preserving the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Why Religious Bodies Raised Concerns

The controversy centres less on the objective of preventing sacrilege and more on what Sikh religious institutions view as government interference in matters traditionally governed by the Sikh Panth.

The Akal Takht has alleged that the Punjab government enacted the law without consulting Sikh religious bodies. It argued that legislation dealing with the Guru Granth Sahib should not have been framed without involving the Sikh religious establishment.

In a letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on May 11, the Akal Takht objected to several provisions of the Act.

Among its concerns was the use of the term Saroop instead of the more commonly used Bir for a physical copy of the Guru Granth Sahib.

It also objected to the introduction of the concept of a "custodian", defined in the law as any individual, institution or gurdwara committee formally supplied with a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Act makes the custodian legally responsible for protecting the scripture and ensuring compliance with Sikh religious tenets.

According to the Akal Takht, this provision creates fear among devotees by making those in possession of the holy scripture legally accountable for any violation.

The requirement for the SGPC to maintain a central register of every copy of the Guru Granth Sahib has drawn even stronger objections. Under the law, the register must include details such as the unique identification number, printing and publication dates, storage location, and the name and address of every custodian.

The Akal Takht argues that assigning identification numbers to the holy scripture amounts to codification that violates its sanctity. It maintains that decisions regarding who receives copies of the Guru Granth Sahib and whether they are following Sikh religious codes fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Akal Takht, not the state.

The religious body has also argued that these provisions affect Sikh sewadar groups, gurdwara committees, granthis, pathis, preachers and others involved in the handling and recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib.

According to the Akal Takht, except for criminal offences relating to sacrilege, matters involving rehat maryada—the Sikh code of conduct—and internal administration of gurdwaras fall exclusively within its jurisdiction.

Additionally, Gargajj claimed that during the discussions, several MLAs admitted that they did not read the draft of the legal amendment before passing it, which showed that "this law has been passed by the Punjab government in a hurry without understanding its seriousness and sensitivity".

Why The Government May Amend It Again

The growing opposition from the Akal Takht has increased pressure on the Punjab government to revisit the legislation.

On June 15, Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj summoned all Sikh legislators and Sikh ministers, irrespective of party affiliation, to appear before the Akal Takht to explain why the law had been enacted without consulting the Sikh Panth.

Earlier, on May 8, the Akal Takht had summoned Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan for a clause-by-clause discussion on the legislation and had asked the government to remove provisions it said were against the Guru Granth Sahib, the Khalsa Panth and the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat.

Following Monday's meeting, Gargajj said that 87 Sikh MLAs, including ministers, had appeared before the Akal Takht, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had not been summoned. He directed the government to address all objections through suitable amendments within one month and urged it not to interfere in religious affairs. A list of objections was also handed over to the legislators.

After the meeting, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema reiterated their respect for the Akal Takht and said the government would give due consideration to the suggestions received while preserving the institution's dignity and sanctity.

Sandhwan described the discussions as "meaningful and constructive" but declined to disclose details, saying the deliberations would instead be conveyed to the government for consideration.

With Sikhs constituting a majority of Punjab's population, the AAP government faces both religious and political pressure to accommodate the Akal Takht's concerns. Given the central role of the Sikh religious establishment in the state's public life, amending the law may be the government's most practical option to defuse the controversy while retaining its objective of preventing sacrilege.