Punjab passes law penalizing 'Guru Granth Sahib' sacrilege, life terms
Punjab just passed a tough new law, the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, that brings life imprisonment and hefty fines (up to ₹25 lakh) for any act of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
While meant to protect the holy scripture, it's left many Sikhs worried that even small mistakes during home prayers could land them in trouble.
Devotees surrender 452 scriptures
To stay safe, lots of people are now doing daily prayers at gurdwaras instead of at home, and some are handing over their scriptures altogether: one area saw 452 Gutka Sahibs and Pothis surrendered in a single day.
Gurdwara committees are also expressing reluctance to provide scriptures for ceremonies, fearing legal issues if anything goes wrong.
Even scholars are wary of handling Sikh texts, worried their research for religious purposes might be misunderstood under the new rules.