Key facts
- Punjab's government enacted a law to criminalize sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib with prison terms of seven to 20 years.
- The law defines sacrilege to include desecration, damage, burning, tearing, theft, or defacement of the scripture, as well as insulting words or electronic communication.
- The Akal Takht, Sikhism's highest temporal and spiritual body, objects to administrative provisions regarding the scripture's handling and registration.
- The Akal Takht argues these administrative matters should be decided by Sikh religious institutions, not the state government.
- The controversy has led to the Akal Takht summoning lawmakers, some of whom admitted to not reading the bill before voting.
- Opposition parties accuse the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of passing the law without adequate consultation.
A recent attempt by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in India's Punjab state to introduce a tougher law punishing sacrilege against the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, has ignited controversy. The legislation, passed in April, aims to strengthen punishments and deter offenses against the scripture, which Sikhs consider their eternal living Guru.
The law defines sacrilege to include deliberate desecration, damage, burning, tearing, theft, or defacement of the Guru Granth Sahib, as well as words or electronic communication intended to insult it or offend Sikh religious sentiments. Offences are cognisable and non-bailable, carrying prison terms of seven to 20 years and fines ranging from 200,000 to one million rupees. Penalties can be higher if the offense is part of a conspiracy to disrupt peace or religious harmony.
However, the Akal Takht, the highest temporal and spiritual authority for Sikhs, has challenged the law. Its primary objections are not to the harsher punishments but to the administrative provisions concerning the handling, registration, and custody of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Akal Takht asserts that these matters fall under the purview of Sikh religious institutions and that it was not consulted before the law was enacted.
Sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib is a highly sensitive issue in Punjab, India's only Sikh-majority state. A series of alleged desecrations in 2015 led to widespread protests and police firing, resulting in fatalities and turning the issue into a lasting political and religious flashpoint. Delivering justice in unresolved sacrilege cases was a key promise of the AAP in the 2022 state elections.
This is Punjab's third attempt in a decade to enact stricter laws against sacrilege. Previous attempts in 2016 and 2018 faced hurdles, including federal government objections and a lack of presidential assent. The current government amended the existing Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008, to introduce the tougher penalties.
The controversy deepened when the Akal Takht summoned the Punjab Assembly speaker, who defended the law. Subsequently, Sikh ministers and legislators were summoned, with several admitting they had not read the legislation before voting. The Akal Takht head called this "serious negligence" and urged the government to amend the law within a month and not implement the disputed provisions until then.
The dispute has become a political issue, with opposition parties accusing the AAP government of haste and lack of consultation. The controversy adds pressure on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is also facing a separate allegation regarding a video purportedly showing him disrespecting Sikh religious figures.