In MLAs’ admission of not reading Bill, SAD, BJP find ammo against AAP

Opposition parties have accused the AAP government of mishandling Punjab's anti-sacrilege law, alleging MLAs passed the legislation without reading it and questioning the government's approach to consultations with the Akal Takht.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann faces mounting criticism from opposition parties over the AAP government's handling of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. (File Photo)

By: Express News Service

4 min readChandigarhJun 30, 2026 12:52 PM IST First published on: Jun 30, 2026 at 12:52 PM IST

The Opposition parties in Punjab on Monday accused the AAP government of mishandling the issue of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, alleging that its ministers and MLAs approved the Bill in the Vidhan Sabha without reading it.

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said approving such an important Bill without proper scrutiny showed “serious negligence” on the part of the ruling party. He said this clearly shows that the AAP government, its ministers and legislators are merely indulging in politics over the issue of sacrilege and are playing with Sikh sentiments.

Dhillon also questioned why AAP legislators allegedly sought permission from party convenor Arvind Kejriwal before appearing before the Akal Takht Sahib.

Also Read | Can Bhagwant Mann’s anti-sacrilege law be used against him?

“If Akal Takht Sahib is supreme, why was Kejriwal’s approval needed?” he asked, alleging that legal flaws in the government’s handling of the legislation forced Akal Takht Sahib to intervene. He said that before passing any legislation on the Sikh religion, the government should have obtained the consent of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Akal Takht Sahib, but “intoxicated by power, the government ignored all established religious norms and protocols”.

He said that since the government has reportedly given a written assurance to amend the law within a month, the chief minister should also appear before Akal Takht Sahib and accept his mistake.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the state government must consult the Akal Takht before enacting any law related to Sikh religious affairs. In a statement, Warring said an agreement signed in 1959 between then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Akali leader Master Tara Singh had recognised the need to consult the Akal Takht on such matters.

Criticising Sikh MLAs of the AAP for reportedly waiting for party supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s approval before attending a meeting convened by the Akal Takht Jathedar, Warring said the meeting was related to a religious issue and not a party matter.

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu welcomed the decision of Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargajj to seek a comprehensive review of the law and to initiate wider consultations before such a sensitive piece of legislation moves 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.”

He said, “What unfolded during today’s deliberations is deeply disturbing…several MLAs belonging to different political parties…were unable to explain the Bill’s contents or its legal implications. 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?”

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said during the hearing at the Akal Takht, “the entire Khalsa Panth across the world witnessed a clear revelation: the Punjab leaders of the AAP have become “mute slaves of their Delhi-based masters and do not hesitate to commit even the gravest wrongs at their behest”.

“Today, Sikhs saw that the AAP MLAs and ministers, acting on the instructions of their Delhi-based leaders, endorsed the legislation without even reading it,” he said.

“We have maintained from the very beginning that the wave of sacrilege incidents in Punjab arrived alongside the AAP. We believe the party is behind all the incidents of sacrilege that have taken place in the state. Those who do not hesitate to disrespect the Sikh Gurus or make false oaths in gurdwaras are capable of anything. Today, by the will of the Almighty, their true face has been exposed before the entire world through their own actions,” he said.