Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu questioned the continued silence of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on the Jaagat Jot Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Bill, 2026, stating that the lack of response raises serious political questions at a time when Punjab has enacted a strict law to prevent beadbi.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab State General Secretary and Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said, “While the AAP-led Punjab government has fulfilled its commitment by bringing a strict law to prevent beadbi incidents, those who earlier politicised such sensitive issues are now choosing to remain silent. This silence is politically telling.”
The AAP Punjab General Secretary added, “When the Bhagwant Mann government announced its intention to introduce a stringent law against beadbi, opposition parties dismissed it as political rhetoric. They said, ‘bring the law, then we will see.’ Today, the law has not only been passed but has come into full force, and those very people have gone quiet.”
Taking aim at previous governments, he said, “Both the Akali-BJP regime and the Congress government under Captain Amarinder Singh failed to enact effective legislation on beadbi despite bringing Bills that were never intended to become law. They ensured the issue remained alive for political gains. Some people baked their political rotis on this issue and wanted it to continue.”
Referring to past incidents, he added, “Be it 2015, 1986 in Nakodar, or 1978, everyone knows who was in power and how they failed to take decisive action. During the 2015 beadbi incidents, despite repeated provocations and threats, the then government failed to act effectively. Posters with offensive language appeared for months, yet no concrete action was taken.”
Baltej Pannu also criticised the handling of investigations by previous regimes, stating, “Reports of commissions like the Justice Zora Singh Commission and the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission were neglected. Serious findings were trivialised, and copies were distributed publicly at throwaway prices.”
Highlighting the process behind the law, he said, “The AAP government undertook extensive consultations with legal experts and religious leaders before drafting the Bill. This was not a rushed decision but a well-prepared legal framework aimed at ensuring strict punishment and deterrence.”
Raising further questions, Baltej Pannu said, “Even after the law has been enacted, neither Shiromani Akali Dal nor its leadership has issued any official statement supporting or opposing it. The silence of SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami is equally concerning. The absence of a press interaction after the SGPC meeting reflects political pressure and lack of clarity.”
He further noted, “The lone Akali Dal MLA did not even attend the special Assembly session where the Bill was passed. This will be recorded in history, who stood for protecting the sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib and who chose to stay absent.”
Concluding, Baltej Pannu said, “The swift passage of the Bill, from its introduction on April 13 to the Governor’s assent on April 17 and notification by April 20, reflects the strong political will of the AAP government. In just a matter of days, this law has taken full shape and implementation, which in itself is a record. Sukhbir Singh Badal’s silence shows that he is more focused on protecting personal and political interests rather than standing firmly for Punjab and its religious sentiments.”