Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann passed the Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act 2026, prescribing life imprisonment for sacrilege. The Akal Takht — the five-century-old seat of Sikh temporal authority — reviewed the law and declared it 'unacceptable to Sikhs,' demanding its objectionable clauses be removed. The CM launched a 'Shukrana Yatra' celebration tour across the state and declined to amend anything.
The Punjab government passed legislation imposing life imprisonment for sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib — a law designed to demonstrate the state's commitment to protecting Sikh scripture. The Akal Takht, whose religious edicts have governed Sikh conduct for five centuries, reviewed the legislation and issued a formal directive: it was 'unacceptable to Sikhs' and specific clauses must be removed. The government's position was that this was the strongest protection ever afforded to the sacred text. Akal Takht's position was that the law, as written, violated principles of Sikh jurisprudence. Rather than engaging with the objection, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann embarked on a 'Shukrana Yatra' — a gratitude march — to celebrate the legislation across Punjab. The Jathedar of Akal Takht issued a deadline of June 6 for the government to respond, after which 'tough decisions' would follow. The irony — that an anti-sacrilege law had been called sacrilegious by the one institution whose authority on such matters is not disputed — was not addressed in the CM's tour itinerary.