Chandigarh, June 29 (IANS) Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon on Monday raised questions over ministers and legislators giving their consent to the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, without reading it.
He said this clearly showed that the Bhagwant Mann government, its ministers, legislators and AAP leaders, especially Arvind Kejriwal, were merely indulging in politics over the issue of the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib and playing with Sikh sentiments.
In a statement, Dhillon said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann himself did not appear along with the ministers and legislators, even though the Akal Takht had directed all legislators to appear.
He said Mann, apart from being the Chief Minister, is also an elected legislator.
“By not appearing in this crucial matter concerning Sikh sentiments, he has once again attempted to disrespect Akal Takht Sahib,” Dhillon said.
He also questioned AAP legislators seeking permission from Kejriwal before appearing before the Akal Takht.
He said: “On one hand, the Aam Aadmi Party claims to regard the Akal Takht as supreme, while on the other hand, its legislators need approval from Arvind Kejriwal, who came from Delhi, before appearing there.”
He asked whether Kejriwal had become greater than the Akal Takht for AAP legislators.
Dhillon said it was only because of the gross incompetence and legal flaws of the AAP government that the Akal Takht had to intervene directly.
He said that before passing any Sikh religious legislation, the government should have obtained the consent of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Akal Takht, but, intoxicated by power, it ignored all established religious norms and protocols.
He further said that after the government had bowed to the directives of the Akal Takht and given a written assurance to amend the law within one month, Chief Minister Mann should also abandon his stubbornness and arrogance.
“For the Sikh community, nothing stands above the supremacy of Akal Takht Sahib. No Chief Minister or politician can be greater than Takht Sahib. Bhagwant Mann should learn from Sikh history and, instead of creating a direct confrontation with the supreme institution, should immediately appear before it and accept his mistake; otherwise, the people of Punjab will never forgive him,” the state BJP chief added.
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, gave the AAP government an ultimatum of one month to remove the objectionable clauses from the highly sensitive, recently enacted Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkaar (Amendment) Act, 2026, in line with Sikh sentiments.
The directive came from Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj after all Sikh legislators and ministers appeared before the Akal Takht and agreed, by raising their hands, to review the law afresh.
Until then, the law will remain on hold.
–IANS
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