Punjab's AAP and opposition Sikh MLAs appeared before Sri Akal Takht Sahib on Monday to explain their stand on ‘Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026’, which had become the centre of a controversy after objections were raised that it was passed by Punjab Assembly without taking consent of Sri Akal Takht Sahib which is the highest temporal authority of Sikhs and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
After hearing the views of the Sikh legislators, acting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj asked the Punjab Government to remove the Panthic objections to the law by making amendments within one month.
Earlier Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj had announced that Sikh MLAs and Cabinet Ministers would be called to explain their stand on the issue and had also said that no interference in authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib would be accepted and maintained that matters related to the Sikh faith should remain under the authority of the Sikh Panth.
The meeting was held before five Sikh high priests led by acting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and since the present Akal Takht Secretariat did not have enough space the proceedings took place in a specially erected pandal inside hall of the under construction new secretariat building opposite existing Akal Takht Secretariat.
The Jathedar was expected to ask each Sikh MLA whether they had personally supported Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026 when it was passed in Punjab Assembly and they were also expected to state whether they still supported or opposed the law after objections raised by Sri Akal Takht Sahib. The MLAs were expected to give brief replies explaining their individual stand.
Punjab Assembly has 117 MLAs including 89 Sikh legislators and 28 non-Sikh legislators and Sikh MLAs attended the meeting in person while non-Sikh MLAs were asked to send their views in writing. Among Sikh legislators around 50 including women MLAs are keshadhari Sikhs while 38 are considered patit Sikhs and according to established norms of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, patit Sikhs are not called to front courtyard of Akal Takht so keeping these norms in mind all Sikh MLAs were asked to appear in hall of under construction new secretariat building instead and sources also indicated that a separate meeting may be held with Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Punjab ministers to discuss possible amendments to the Act, it is also learnt that one or two legislators each from ruling AAP, Congress and Akali Dal may be asked to present their party's stand on the issue.
Speaking to the media earlier Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said that Sri Akal Takht Sahib was established by sixth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib and is supreme temporal seat of Sikh community and said every Sikh who follows the teachings of Guru Nanak is devoted to Sri Akal Takht Sahib. The Jathedar also said that the amendments made to 2008 law had resulted in government interference in Sikh religious matters without the consent of Khalsa Panth and while ignoring Sikh institutions, he maintained that issues related to Sikh traditions, respect for Guru Sahib and relationship between Guru and Sikhs fall under authority of Panth and not the government.
He appealed to Sikh Sangat to always follow principles of Guru Granth Sahib and Guru Panth and said every Sikh has a duty to respect sentiments of the Panth, referring to Sikh beliefs he said Guru Sahib gave spiritual Guruship to Guru Granth Sahib and physical Guruship to Guru Khalsa Panth and therefore decisions of the Panth should be respected.