A day after the acting Jathedar of the Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs), Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, directed the state government, through Sikh ministers and MLAs of all political parties who had appeared before the Takht after being summoned, to remove the “objectionable” provisions and amend the anti-sacrilege law “Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026” within a month, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday strongly defended the legislation, asserting that those guilty of sacrilege deserved the harshest punishment.
Addressing a massive gathering during his ‘Lok Milni’ programme at Mehal Kalan village in Barnala district, the Chief Minister, did not refer to the Akal Takht, but targeted the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and defended the law.
He said, “People kept voting for the ‘takkdi’ (scales – the SAD’s election symbol), believing it represented Baba Nanak, yet the same Baba Nanak’s ‘baani’ was desecrated in the streets. Now we have made a law, and they say they do not like it. Tell me what is wrong with it? Have I inserted any of my own man into the law? Have I shielded anyone? I have simply said that whoever commits sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib should remain in jail until their last breath. The law provides for life imprisonment, a fine of Rs 50 lakh, and even bars meeting with family members. Such a person will rot in jail alone banging his head against the walls. Tell me what mistake have I made?”
Mann also accused his political opponents of trying to defame him on religious grounds by circulating “fabricated” videos on social media. He claimed that fake and doctored videos were being used to mislead people and maintained that he was not worried by such campaigns as long as he enjoyed the public support.
During his address, the Chief Minister also announced that the ‘Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana’ would be launched from his Dhuri Assembly constituency in Sangrur district on Wednesday. In a lighter vein, he told women in the audience that the scheme could well have been named the ‘Mawan Dhiyan Suit Yojana’, as they would no longer need to ask the men in their families for money for this purpose.
The Chief Minister also targeted the SAD, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), taking potshots at SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon and state Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
Later, Mann handed over a cheque of Rs 51 lakh to the village panchayat for development works.
Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Cabinet Minister Brinder Kumar Goyal and Mehal Kalan MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori were among those present on the stage. Punjabi actor Parmjeet Singh Sohi, popularly known as Sardar Sohi, was sitting among the audience.
Meanwhile, the police and civil administration remained on their toes for the programme as farmers’ organisations and activists staged protests against the Chief Minister and the state government. Several protesters were detained on Monday, while more were taken into preventive custody on Tuesday. Protesters also blocked roads at some places ahead of the programme.
