Badal-owned PTC’s former head starts live ‘gurbani’ telecast on new channel
While Rabindra Narayan thanked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), it has served a legal notice on his GTC Network to halt the live broadcast of 'gurbani'.
For the first time, a TV channel other than the Badal family-owned PTC has begun live telecasting gurbani from the Golden Temple, with Rabindra Narayan, who previously headed PTC and is now the managing director of GTC Network, announcing the development on Wednesday.
Narayan, who is also the founder of GTC Network, said, “It is with a very emotional heart that I inform you that GTC Network will receive this signal from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) YouTube channel and begin broadcasting holy gurbani on its channels starting tomorrow morning. By opening this broadcast for all channels, you have once again entrusted Guru Sahib’s Baani to the Sangat.”
The development comes a day after SGPC member Bhagwant Singh Sialka stated on a television channel that anyone is free to use the SGPC’s live feed of Gurbani. He was responding to the ruling AAP’s allegations of monopoly on gurbani telecast rights.
The religious body’s long-standing agreement with PTC—a channel associated with Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal—expired in July 2023. Following directions from the Akal Takht, the SGPC launched a web channel and reserved all gurbani broadcasting rights exclusively with the apex Sikh body.
Despite the SGPC explicitly retaining all broadcasting rights, Narayan framed the situation as an opening of the feed for global distribution. He expressed gratitude to the SGPC under the assumption that the broadcast is now accessible to all networks.
Reflecting on his decades-long involvement in broadcasting gurbani for PTC, Narayan stated, “For a major part of my professional life since 1998, my day began with the sacred sound of Gurbani reaching the Sangat. When this continuity paused a year ago, something inside me fell silent that no commercial success could fill.”
SGPC threatens action against ‘illegal’ download and broadcast
The SGPC has threatened legal action and served a legal notice on GTC Network to halt the live broadcast of gurbani.
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SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said in a statement that “all rights pertaining to the broadcast of gurbani from Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib are exclusively vested” with the SGPC and that no channel may broadcast it “without prior authorisation”.
Dhami added that since the gurbani broadcast “must always uphold the established Sikh maryada (religious code of conduct) and traditions,” the rights “cannot be granted indiscriminately to everyone”.
He said that starting the gurbani broadcast without the SGPC’s permission is therefore “not only unauthorised and unethical but also illegal”.
Dhami clarified that while the public and organisations can share links of the broadcast on the SGPC’s official YouTube channel, “if anyone downloads the broadcast and re-streams it, appropriate legal action will be taken against them”.
A 2023 law and controversy over PTC’s ‘political agenda’
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The controversy traces back to June 2023, when the Punjab Assembly passed The Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill 2023, aiming to ensure the free-to-air telecast of gurbani from the Golden Temple. The bill was a key political move by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Aam Aadmi Party government to challenge the Badal family’s dominance over the telecast.
PTC has consistently faced allegations of using the sacred telecasts to promote the Badal family’s political agenda. Live Gurbani broadcasts have remained PTC’s biggest asset, driving its viewership during successive Congress and AAP governments.
When the AAP government initially moved to make the feed free-to-air in 2023, Narayan—then serving as PTC’s managing director—strongly countered the government’s claims.
“Gurbani is already free. All PTC Network channels are designated as free-to-air by the Government of India. No cable operator or DTH operator charges any money for it. It is also available for free on YouTube and Facebook. So how are they claiming to make Gurbani free-to-air? We challenge the entire cabinet to provide a single customer bill where anyone has had to pay to subscribe to Gurbani across the country,” Narayan wrote on X at the time, offering a reward of Rs1 crore to anyone who could prove otherwise.
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Back in 2020, the PTC Punjabi channel had got the audio of morning Hukamnama (daily verse) blocked from some Facebook pages, saying that rights were reserved only with PTC.
Narayan then said, “PTC holds exclusive rights to broadcast by any means worldwide the Gurbani, including Hukamnama from Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, and will prevent infringement of its rights. SGPC also hosts the audio of Gurbani on its website. This does not mean anyone can download and broadcast it as their own. PTC has those rights. PTC has no issue if anyone shares PTC’s Facebook post of Hukamnama daily. It’s available worldwide for anyone to share. But nobody should attempt to steal audio and video and broadcast it as their own.”
Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab. He is one of the publication's key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts.
Core Beats & Specializations
Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions.
National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups.
Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His work in late 2025 has been centered on judicial developments, local body elections, and religious controversies:
1. Religious Politics & Akal Takht
"Akal Takht pronounces religious sentences against former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh" (Dec 8, 2025): Covering the historic decision to hold the former Jathedar guilty for granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015.
"YouTube suspends SGPC’s channel for a week over video on 1984 Army action" (Nov 20, 2025): Reporting on the digital friction between global tech platforms and Sikh religious bodies.
"As AAP govt grants Amritsar holy tag, a look at its fraught demand" (Nov 28, 2025): An analytical piece on the long-standing demand for declaring Amritsar a "holy city" and its political implications.
2. Crime & National Security
"Mostly Khalistanis on Amritpal’s hit list: Punjab govt to High Court" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on the state government's claims regarding jailed MP Amritpal Singh orchestrating activity from prison.
"Punjab man with links to Pakistan’s ISI handlers killed in encounter" (Nov 20, 2025): Detailing a police operation in Amritsar involving "newly refurbished" firearms likely sent from across the border.
"15 schools in Amritsar get bomb threat emails; police launch probe" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering the panic and police response to mass threats against educational institutions.
3. Political Analysis & Elections
"AAP wins 12 of 15 zones in SAD stronghold Majitha" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant shift in the 2025 rural elections where the Akali Dal lost its grip on a traditional fortress.
"Tarn Taran bypoll: woman faces threats after complaining to CM Mann about drug menace" (Nov 9, 2025): A ground report on the personal risks faced by citizens speaking out against the illegal drug trade in border villages.
"AAP wins Tarn Taran bypoll, but SAD finds silver lining" (Nov 14, 2025): Analyzing the 2025 assembly by-election results and the surprising performance of Independents backed by radical factions.
4. Human Interest
"Two couples and a baby: Punjab drug addiction tragedy has new victims" (Nov 20, 2025): A tragic investigative piece about parents selling an infant to fund their addiction.
"Kashmiri women artisans debut at Amritsar’s PITEX" (Dec 8, 2025): A feature on financial independence initiatives for rural women at the Punjab International Trade Expo.
Signature Beat
Kamaldeep is known for his nuanced understanding of border dynamics. His reporting often highlights the "drug crisis in the underprivileged localities" (like Muradpur in Tarn Taran, Nov 9, 2025), providing a voice to marginalized communities affected by addiction and administrative neglect.
X (Twitter): @kamalsbrar ... Read More
