Sandhwan assures tougher Anti-Sacrilege Draft; Samana protester to climb down after law passed
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ March 22,2026
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan today met the Sangat at the ongoing Samana Tower Morcha along with a delegation of MLAs. Addressing a large gathering at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, he announced that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, will introduce a stronger law by amending the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008. The draft of the proposed law will be brought to the Samana Morcha on April 14 by himself, following its passage in the Special Session of the Vidhan Sabha convened on April 13 on the occasion of Baisakhi.
He further stated that he would personally hand over the draft to Bhai Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, who has been sitting atop the tower since October 2024.
The delegation included Aam Aadmi Party State General Secretary and Media Incharge Baltej Pannu; Chairman of the Assembly Select Committee Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar; MLAs Chetan Singh Jouramajra, Ajitpal Singh Kohli, Gurlal Ghanour, Narinder Kaur Bharaj, Gurdev Singh Dev Mann and Kulwant Singh Bazigar; and from the Sant Samaj, Baba Bhupinder Singh Rampur Khera.
Earlier, in a meeting with Morcha leaders, those present included coordinator Gurpreet Singh, Amitoj Singh Mann, Pushpinder Singh Kaka, Talwinder Singh Aulakh, Amarjeet Singh Maryada and Kaka Singh Kotra.
During the interaction, Bhai Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, speaking over the phone from the tower, thanked the Punjab Government for convening a special session to enact a strict anti-sacrilege law and assured that he would come down after the law is passed.
Addressing the Sangat, Speaker Sandhwan reiterated that the Punjab Government is fully committed to incorporating stringent provisions in the proposed legislation, including strict punishment, heavy fines, confiscation of property, and coverage of offences committed through digital means. He said the draft is being prepared after consultations with the Sant Samaj and legal experts.
He also mentioned that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann recently held a meeting with representatives of the Sant Samaj to apprise them of the government’s intent. The Speaker thanked Sant Seva Singh Rampur Khera for extending support towards bringing this historic anti-sacrilege legislation.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Sandhwan stated that the present government believes in action rather than making false promises, and no leniency will be shown towards those guilty of sacrilege.
The announcement was welcomed by the Sangat with resounding Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal Jaikaras. He added that the government is treating this legislation as a priority and is convening a special session on the sacred occasion of Khalsa Sajna Diwas to ensure due deliberation with religious leaders and legal experts.
Speaking on the occasion, Baltej Pannu and Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar stated that no culprit involved in sacrilege would be spared and exemplary punishment would be ensured. They added that opinions from leading legal experts across the country would also be sought.
Baltej Pannu further said that necessary amendments to the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008 would be made during the special session to make it more comprehensive and effective in preventing sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other religious scriptures.
He added that as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar also invited Bhai Gurjeet Singh Khalsa to end his protest and participate in the proceedings of the special session of the Assembly.
Among others present on the occasion were ADC Damanjit Singh Mann, SP Vaibhav Chaudhary, SDM Richa Goyal and DSP Fateh Singh Brar.
