Day on, speaker gives bill copy to Samana protesters, urges end to stir

Patiala: A day after the Punjab assembly cleared the Jaagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Tuesday handed over a copy of the legislation to people who have been protesting at Samana town in Patiala for a stricter anti-sacrilege law. The announcement was met with resounding slogans from the stage, with protesters terming the passage of the bill a "commendable and welcome step".Addressing the gathering, the speaker said fulfilling promises was possible only with the blessings of the Guru and reiterated he had come as per his assurance to present a copy of the bill to activist Gurjeet Singh Khalsa and the Sangat (community). He appealed to Khalsa to come down from the tower in larger public interest.Sandhwan said chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had honoured his commitment by getting the bill cleared in the assembly, asserting the govt will continue its efforts until the bill received the governor's assent and it is enacted. Sandhwan said there should be nothing to worry about the governor's approval as the bill had been drafted thoroughly and there were no shortcomings. He said the legislation was more stringent than the expectations of the people.Responding to queries, Sandhwan said that in line with the CM's statement, the govt was ready to approach the governor collectively with all opposition parties to ensure the expeditious approval of the bill. He added there would be no delay at the official level. The speaker also hailed Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, who has been stationed atop a tower to demand a stricter anti-sacrilege law. He said everyone should imbibe the same devotion and love for the Guru. He claimed that while previous govts introduced laws on the issue, those had shortcomings. He claimed that although laws against sacrilege existed earlier, the new bill was more stringent and should not be politicised. The AAP MLA from Samana, Chetan Singh Jouramajra, described April 13 as a significant day and acknowledged the role played by the Samana tower morcha in the passage of the bill. He also sought forgiveness for any shortcomings or inadvertent mistakes on his part or on the part of the administration in the past.