Chandigarh, June 29 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu on Monday welcomed the decision of the Akal Takht Jathedar to seek a comprehensive review of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act of 2026 and to initiate wider consultations before such a sensitive piece of legislation is moved forward.

“The sanctity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib-ji is above politics. Any law concerning our eternal Guru cannot be drafted in haste, passed for headlines, or used as a political spectacle. Such legislation demands the collective wisdom of Sikh scholars, legal experts, Panthic institutions and elected representatives,” Bittu said in a statement.

“What unfolded during today’s deliberations is deeply disturbing. Reports indicate that when several MLAs belonging to different political parties were asked about the provisions of the Bill that they themselves had passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, many were unable to explain its contents or its legal implications,” he said.

“This raises a fundamental question before the people of Punjab: If the legislators themselves were unaware of what they had approved, then who actually drafted this legislation?

“The Punjab Vidhan Sabha is not a rubber stamp. MLAs are elected by the people to debate, scrutinize and legislate, not to blindly endorse documents placed before them. Every MLA takes an oath to discharge constitutional responsibilities with honesty and diligence. It is shocking if representatives drawing salaries and privileges from the public exchequer cannot explain the very law they voted for,” he said.

Questioning the government: Who prepared this Bill? Which constitutional experts, legal scholars, Sikh theologians or Panthic institutions were consulted before introducing it? Was due legislative scrutiny followed? Or was the Assembly merely asked to endorse a pre-drafted document without meaningful discussion?

He said legislation concerning Guru Granth Sahib cannot be influenced by political expediency or dictated from outside Punjab. “The Sikh faith has its own traditions, institutions and scholars whose voices must be respected.”

The Union Minister said the decision of the Akal Takht to grant time for wider consultation and reconsideration is therefore both timely and necessary.

“It provides an opportunity to ensure that any future law is constitutionally sound, legally enforceable and fully consistent with Sikh principles and sentiments,” he added.

His observations came hours after the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, issued an ultimatum to the AAP government 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, by raising their hands, agreed to review the law afresh. Till then, the law will be put on hold.

The Jathedar questioned why the government had attempted to define religious terminology through legislation. He objected to replacing the term “Bir” with “Saroop” and raised concerns over provisions relating to the SGPC’s role in the printing and publication of Guru Granth Sahib Birs.

–IANS

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