Anti-sacrilege law notified; AAP attacks SAD over ‘silence’

Chandigarh: Punjab govt on Monday notified its stricter anti-sacrilege law, The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, and published in the official gazette for "general information", three days after it received the governor's assent. The incumbent AAP asserted the law is now "fully implemented" and questioned the opposition's silence.A notification issued by the state department of legal and legislative affairs said the law, cleared by governor Gulab Chand Kataria on April 17, "is hereby published for general information". The notification was also shared on X by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema.However, the law's operational status remains open to interpretation. The act states it "shall come into force on such date as the state government may, by notification in the official gazette, specify". A govt functionary, requesting anonymity, said the law may be considered effective upon publication.A comparison with a 2025 amendment to the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act shows that law explicitly stated it would come into force on publication, a clarity absent in the present Act.The bill was unanimously passed by the Punjab assembly on April 13. The legislation provides for stringent penalties, including life imprisonment, for sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.It also mandates the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to maintain a central register tracking the printing, storage, distribution and supply of Saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib in physical and electronic form. The SGPC must upload records within 45 days of the Act's commencement and update them monthly thereafter.Meanwhile, AAP Punjab general secretary and media in-charge Baltej Pannu claimed the law has come into full force and criticised the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership for its "continued silence". He said opposition parties that had earlier questioned the Bill's passage and assent were now quiet despite the law being enacted.Pannu also questioned the lack of response from SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, calling it "politically telling". He noted that the lone SAD MLA did not attend the special Assembly session where the Bill was passed, adding that the absence would be "recorded in history".Sharing the notification earlier, Cheema said the move reflected the Bhagwant Singh Mann government's commitment to uphold the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib, warning of strict action against acts of sacrilege.