Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced on Sunday that all elected representatives from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party will present themselves at Sri Akal Takht Sahib to clarify their stance to the Sikh leadership. The strategic move was finalized following an intense internal meeting in Amritsar led by Chief Minister Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to address the official summons issued by the highest temporal authority of the Sikh faith.
This development marks a crucial juncture in the relationship between the Punjab government and the state’s premier religious institutions. The Akal Takht Secretariat has mandated that all seventy-eight Sikh members of the legislative assembly, alongside nine Sikh cabinet ministers from all political factions, appear in person at the holy shrine on Monday, June 29. Non-Sikh cabinet members have conversely been requested to submit their formal perspectives on the matter in writing.
The root of the ongoing friction stems from the passage of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. Unanimously cleared by the Punjab Legislative Assembly on April 13, the new law introduces severe penalties, including potential life imprisonment, for desecration of the holy scripture. Despite its passage, the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee voiced deep reservations, contending that the provincial government failed to consult panthic bodies or the supreme religious seat before enacting the law.
The religious leadership had earlier communicated their grievances to Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, urging the modification of specific legal clauses deemed contrary to community sentiments. Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj issued the personal summons to the lawmakers after previous formal communications yielded no response from state officials.
The unified appearance of the ruling party’s legislators unfolds during a highly charged political atmosphere, following a separate religious edict issued against Chief Minister Mann on June 15 concerning a controversial video. While opposition lawmakers quickly pledged absolute compliance with the supreme seat, the ruling administration’s decision to have its MLAs pay obeisance is an effort to de-escalate tensions while demonstrating respect for traditional Sikh institutions.
