Sri Akal Takht panel seeks Punjab Govt’s compliance report before talks on Sacrilege Bill
Babushahi Bureau
Amritsar (Punjab), August 7, 2026: The expert committee constituted by Sri Akal Takht Sahib to examine issues related to the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, has asked the Punjab Government to submit a compliance report on the June 29 directives issued by the Akal Takht before any further discussions on the proposed anti-sacrilege law.
The committee, comprising Justice (Retd.) Rupinder Singh Sodhi, Justice (Retd.) Mohinder Mohan Singh Bedi, senior advocate Puran Singh Hundal, Sikh scholar Dr. Kehar Singh and Prof. Jagmohan Singh, held its first meeting on Thursday.
According to a press note issued by the Akal Takht Secretariat, the committee observed that the Punjab Government’s response, submitted on July 29, failed to address the fundamental objections raised by the Akal Takht, particularly concerns over provisions in the proposed legislation that could allow interference in Sikh religious affairs.
The committee stated that the government’s reply, received on the last day of the one-month deadline given by the Akal Takht, appeared to avoid the core issues instead of addressing them. It noted that the concerns of the Khalsa Panth had already been conveyed to the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and members of the Punjab Cabinet on July 31.
The committee further observed that the Punjab Government has not adopted a constructive approach towards resolving the sensitive issue of sacrilege and has yet to constitute its own committee for comprehensive discussions, despite being given sufficient time by the Akal Takht.
The meeting was coordinated by Lakhvir Singh, Additional Secretary at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s Chandigarh office. Jaskaran Singh, Media Advisor at the Secretariat of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, also participated in the deliberations.