In a major development, we see that the Punjab State Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann notified on April 20, 2026 the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026 replacing the 2008 Satkar Act which proposes very stringent punishment for any act of sacrilege (beadbi) committed against the Sri Guru Granth Sahib which is the most holy book of Sikhism to uphold its sanctity. It would be instructive to note that the punishment ranges from a minimum of seven years to life imprisonment extendable up to 20 years and a fine of up to Rs 25 lakh. It is also worth noting that the notification in the official gazette came after Governor Gulab Chand Kataria gave his assent to the anti-sacrilege law on April 17. The Bill was unanimously passed by the State Assembly on April 13 during a special day-long session of Assembly convened by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on occasion of Baisakhi and was sent to the Governor for his assent.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on April 19 posted on X a copy of the assent page of the Bill signed duly by the Governor on April 17. While welcoming the passage of the Bill which he himself passionately advocated, Bhagwant Mann wrote tersely that, “Now this Bill has become law. Immensely thankful to Waheguru (Almighty) for taking this service from a humble person like me. Gratitude to the entire sangat.” While addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Cabinet Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema described the move as a decisive step to preserve communal harmony and uphold the sanctity of religious scriptures. Harpal added further saying that, “The history reflects a troubling pattern where incidents of beadbi occurred during the tenure of the Akali-BJP government, specifically citing the 1986 Nakodar incident and the 2015 Bargari and Behbal Kalan cases.” It is a no-brainer that those who indulge in sacrilege must be punished most strictly so that no one ever dares to indulge in such despicable, dastardly and derisive acts in his/her life! No denying or disputing it!
Harpal added further that successive regimes failed to ensure justice, saying that, “Despite the formation of various commissions and Special Investigation Teams under previous governments, key evidence such as Action taken Reports went missing and investigation files gathered dust, leaving the culprits and conspirators shielded from the law.” While highlighting the shift since 2022 when AAP took over in Punjab, Harpal hastened to add further stating that, “The Bhagwant Mann Government has worked tirelessly to accelerate investigations that remained stalled for decades. For the first time, high-profile figures who previously enjoyed political protection were forced to seek anticipatory bail from courts.” While reaffirming the state government’s commitment, Harpal stated explicitly that every perpetrator, irrespective of social or political stature will be brought to justice.
While explaining the provisions of the law, Harpal said that, “The newly enacted law is designed to be comprehensive and watertight, leaving no loopholes for offenders to escape justice. The act not only targets those who physically commit acts of beadbi but also holds the masterminds and conspirators accountable.” He further made it indubitably clear that there will be zero tolerance for all those who dare to commit or mastermind it adding that, “Furthermore, the legislation addresses the common defense of ‘mental instability’ used to evade prosecution. Under the new provisions, if an individual under the care of a guardian commits such an act, the guardian or custodian can also be held liable for negligence, ensuring a higher level of accountability for the protection of the holy scripture.”
While concluding his address, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema further reiterated underscoring that, “This legislation marks the fulfillment of a major guarantee made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal to the people of Punjab. While previous governments collaborated to create weak laws that failed to stand legal scrutiny, the Bhagwant Mann Government has delivered a robust legal framework.” He affirmed saying clearly that, “This act serves as a stern warning to any forces attempting to disrupt the peace and social fabric of Punjab, signaling a new era where the dignity of religious faith is protected by the absolute power of the state.”
Having said this, it must be added here that this Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026 defines sacrilege as “any willful and deliberate act, committed with the intent of desecration by way of physical damaging, defacing, burning, tearing or theft of the Saroop(s) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib or part thereof, or by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic means or otherwise, which is of such a nature as to hurt the religious feelings of persons professing the Sikh faith.” It may be recalled that the theft of a “bir” (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, recovery of sacrilegious posters and the alleged tearing of pages of the holy book at Bargiri in Faridkot triggered protests in October 2015. Two people were killed at Behbal Kalan and several others were injured in Faridkot in police firing on protesters.
Frankly speaking, we see that while speaking on the Bill, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann who also holds the Home portfolio pointed out that the previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments not only failed to take the cases of sacrilege to a conclusive end, but also passed ineffective laws which failed legal scrutiny. Mann added further that, “Now, this is the final law and we will not require to frame another one, as it covers all aspects, creates the toughest legal framework.” It was also clarified by the CM that the Bill requires only the Governor’s assent and it does not need to be sent to the President for assent.
While calling the passage of this Bill as a “correction of past regimes failures”, CM Mann said that the Bill shuts all scope for loopholes by making those involved in conspiracy and aiding sacrilege as equally accountable. He also reiterated firmly saying that, “The amended law will put an end to incidents of desecration in future, and no one will dare to indulge in such an unholy act.” This Bill was passed in Punjab State Assembly by a voice vote after nearly three hours of discussion.
According to the Bill, any person who commits an offence of sacrilege of the ‘Saroop(s)’ (sacred scripture) of the Guru Granth Sahib shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than seven years but which may extend to 20 years. There shall also be a fine which shall not be less than Rs 2 lakh but which may extend to Rs 10 lakh. This was considered imperative by Punjab State Government as persuasion according to them yielded nothing and so decided to shift to prosecution as the last option!
It would be worthwhile to note that any person who in criminal conspiracy commits sacrilege with an intention to disrupt peace or communal harmony shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than Rs 5 lakh but which may extend to Rs 25 lakh as mentioned in the Bill. It also merits noting that any person who attempts to commit an offence shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than 3 years but which may extend to 5 years and shall also be liable to a fine which shall not be less than Rs 1 lakh but which may extend to maximum Rs 3 lakh.
We need to note that the Bill seeks to insert a new Section in the 2008 law mandating the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to maintain a central register of saroops, allotting each a unique identification number, along with details of printing, storage, distribution and supply. It is also stipulated in the Bill that the register is to be maintained in physical and electronic form and be available on the committee’s website. We also need to pay our singular attention to the glaring fact that while defining the duties and responsibilities of the custodian of a saroop, the Bill requires them to ensure its safe custody, protection from damage, misuse or loss in any manner and to observe the Sikh Rehat Maryada (code of conduct for Sikhism).
It also cannot go unnoticed that it is stipulated in the Bill that any damage, disappearance or suspected sacrilege is to be reported to police authorities and the concerned management authority. Another proposed change in the new law is the substitution of words “Bir” and “Birs” with “Saroop” and “Saroops” in the legislation. It is not hidden from anyone that the act of sacrilege against religious scriptures have been an emotive issue in Punjab and time and again we heard demands from various quarters for stringent punishment for acts of sacrilege against religious texts.
We must also note that the Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Saqndhwan said that it was the demand of the ‘sangat’ that a strict law be enacted against the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib. Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said unequivocally that, “The Governor’s assent to the Bill is a welcome step, ‘but laws mean little without intent and action’. If CM @Bhagwant Mann is serious, this must become a real deterrent against sacrilege – not just another headline.” SGPC Chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the move is a step in the right direction. He however added a caveat saying that merely passing the Bill is not sufficient and called for its effective implementation! Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema noted the amendment mandated severe penalties for anyone committing, attempting or conspiring to commit sacrilege, with all such cases to be investigated by a DSP-rank officer.
While responding to the Punjab BJP’s demand that the proposed legislation should include religious texts of other faiths, Cheema noted that since the matter fell under the concurrent list, BJP should approach the Centre to seek amendments to BNS for punishment for sacrilege for the entire country. As per State Government data, nearly 597 cases of sacrilege were reported over the last one decade. Of these, 480 involve sacrilege of Sikh religious scriptures and shrines, 92 involve Hindu religious places, 14 Muslim shrines and scriptures and 11 Christian places of worship. So far, out of 597 FIRs, only 44 have ended in conviction.
All said and done, it is only by fear of strictest punishment being inflicted on those who commit or mastermind sacrilege acts that such dastardly acts can be controlled to a large extent. There can definitely be just no gainsaying that making law is only the first and most elementary step that has been taken but the giant stride can be taken only when its strictest implementation is ensured most strictly in reality also because sacrilege of religious texts cannot be ever justified on any pretext whatsoever! The earlier this is done, the better it shall be!
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