ROPAR, MAY 7 — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann declared on Wednesday that individuals who protected the perpetrators of sacrilege during previous administrations will soon face imprisonment. Speaking to a large gathering during his Shukrana Yatra, the Chief Minister affirmed that the recently enacted Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act 2026 ensures that no one involved in the desecration of the holy scripture will escape the reach of the law.
The Chief Minister stated that the Act serves as a permanent deterrent to protect the state’s communal harmony and peace. He maintained that previous rulers lacked the political will to stop such tragedies, leading to recurring incidents of sacrilege that deeply hurt the sentiments of the public. He asserted that his government was chosen as an instrument of divine service to pass this historic legislation, which he noted has received global appreciation from the Sikh community.
“My heart is indebted to the Almighty for blessing me with the service of enacting this Act, which provides harsher punishment for beadbi,” Chief Minister Mann affirmed. He urged the public to spread awareness about the law’s provisions within their local communities, stating that the fear of these new legal consequences has already caused opposition leaders to avoid public accountability.
During his address, the Chief Minister also leveled sharp criticism at the Akali leadership, stating they had betrayed the youth of Punjab by patronizing the drug trade and gangsters during their tenure. He affirmed that the blood of those lost to addiction stains the hands of former rulers who allegedly allowed illegal trades to flourish under official protection. He declared that the people of Punjab would never forgive the “genocide of generations” caused by such negligence and misrule.
