AMRITSAR, May 9 — The Akal Takht on Friday formally rejected the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, and issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Punjab government to amend the legislation. The highest temporal seat of the Sikhs maintained that several clauses within the act hurt community sentiments and constitute an interference in Panthic affairs.
The decision followed a high-profile appearance by Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan before acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj. The Jathedar affirmed that the law would not be accepted by the Sikh community until it received the explicit approval of both the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. He further declared that a panel of legal experts and former judges would be provided to the state to help reconstruct the legislation.
Acting Jathedar Gargaj maintained that the SGPC would not comply with mandates requiring the digital record-keeping of Guru Granth Sahib saroops on government-monitored platforms. He stated that failure to address these concerns within the two-week window would lead to a meeting of the five Sikh clergy to determine “strict action.”
Speaker Sandhwan affirmed that the Bhagwant Mann government remains committed to Panthic values and asserted that any apprehensions regarding the law could be resolved during the framing of subsequent rules. He stated that the government’s actions were intended to reflect the sentiments of the community, though he declined to provide specific details regarding the private deliberations held at the Takht.
