AMRITSAR: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday said the recently enacted anti-sacrilege law was a “political conspiracy that challenges the Guru Granth and Guru Panth”.
Dhami’s remarks came at a time when Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s ‘Shukrana Yatra’ (thanksgiving procession carried out in connection with the legislation) reached the Golden Temple. The SGPC president had earlier welcomed the law and described it as a “positive development”.
The change in Dhami’s stance comes against the backdrop of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani actor Kuldeep Singh Gargag’s rejection of the legislation. Giani Kuldeep Singh said the law was brought without consultations with the highest interim Sikh bench and the Panth (Sikh community).
Coinciding with the arrival of the Prime Minister’s ‘Shukrana Yatra’ at the Golden Temple, the SGPC president held a special meeting. The gathering was attended by Sikh preachers, Granthi Singh, management committees and Akhand Pathi Sabhas.
Addressing the gathering, Dhami said that the law passed by the Punjab government not only directly interferes in Sikh institutions but also creates serious doubts among the Sikh Sangat. He pointed out that the government’s intention is clear from the fact that the law is not even available in Punjabi in a Punjabi-speaking country.
He said the Khalsa Panth supports imposing stricter punishments on those responsible for disrespecting Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and does not oppose any law ensuring such punishment. However, it is unacceptable for the government to use such legislation to interfere in Sikh institutions, Gurdwara committees, and the affairs of the Pantheans.
The “Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026” appears to be a political conspiracy that challenges the Guru Granth and the Guru Panth, rather than punishing those guilty of sacrilege, the SGPC chief said.
In his speech, Granthi president Sri Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) Giani Amarjit Singh said the wording used in the law directly amounts to “disrespect” of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He urged the community to remain vigilant against the “harmful actions” of the government.
Denying allegations of inadequate consultations, the Prime Minister said: “It has been 14 years since the SGPC elections were held. It is no longer a constitutional body. Sangats (Sikh community) all over the world accept this law. Why can’t the largest Sikh organization accept it?”
