The Akal Takht directed the Punjab government to amend the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkaar Act, 2026 within one month [1].

The directive signals a significant tension between the state's legislative authority and the temporal seat of Sikhism. Because the law governs the protection of the faith's holiest scripture, the Akal Takht views the lack of prior consultation as a breach of religious protocol.

Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj issued the order on Monday during a meeting in Amritsar with Sikh Cabinet ministers and members of the legislative assembly [1], [2]. The Akal Takht said the law was passed without consulting the seat or other Panthic bodies and requires revision to reflect Sikh sentiments [2], [4].

As part of the decree, the Akal Takht ordered the government to keep the implementation of the act on hold while the amendments are processed [2], [3]. The legislation, which was passed on April 29, 2026 [2], prescribes life imprisonment as the penalty for sacrilege [3].

The Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkaar Act was intended to provide a stringent legal framework to prevent the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. However, the Akal Takht maintains that such a law cannot be legitimately enacted without the guidance of the community's highest temporal authority.

State officials must now address the objections raised by the religious body to avoid a wider standoff between the Punjab government and the Sikh clergy [1].

“The Akal Takht ordered the government to keep the implementation of the act on hold.”

This directive underscores the unique dual-power dynamic in Punjab, where the secular government's laws often intersect with the spiritual and temporal authority of the Akal Takht. By demanding a revision of the 2026 Act, the Akal Takht is asserting that legal protections for religious scripture must be validated by religious leadership to be considered legitimate by the community, potentially forcing the state to grant the clergy a formal role in the legislative process for religious matters.