New Delhi [India], April 7 : Senior Advocate and BJP leader HS Phoolka on Tuesday strongly criticised the Punjab government for planning to amend the 2008 Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act without consulting the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), calling the move "a massive attack on the Sikh religion" and urging Sikhs to oppose it.
Speaking to the ANI, Phoolka said that a special session of the Punjab Assembly has been called for April 13, partly to increase punishments under the sacrilege law and partly to amend the 2008 Act. While he supported the increase in punishment for sacrilege, ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, he expressed deep concern over the amendments to the SGPC Act.
He said, "As far as the sacrilege law is concerned, the government has the right to increase criminal punishment for sacrilege. They have increased it to at least 10 years, and it can go up to life imprisonment. That's fine. But the amendment to the second act is very surprising. The government is also going to amend the 2008 Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act."
Phoolka explained, "Exclusive printing rights under the 2008 Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act were granted to the SGPC. The government is moving to amend it without even consulting the SGPC. We do not yet know the specific amendments they are planning. This is quite shocking."
He recalled that the Bhagwant Mann government had previously tried to sideline the SGPC in 2023, saying, "In 2023, they brought an act regarding the broadcasting of kirtan from Harmandir Sahib. They did that without consulting any Sikh organisations or the SGPC. At that time, many were happy that broadcasting rights were being made public. I held a press conference in Chandigarh then and warned that this is a very dangerous precedent. It's a very dangerous tradition they are trying to establish, and they are doing it intentionally to make the SGPC redundant and eliminate it entirely. This is Bhagwant Mann's aim."
Phoolka said, "Now, another attempt is being made. Again, without informing anyone or consulting the SGPC, they are trying to amend the 2008 Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act to sideline the SGPC and take total control. Bhagwant Mann has been trying this for a long time. My request to everyone is not to let their attempts succeed. Oppose this vigorously. Let them handle the sacrilege law and increase punishmentsdesecration should carry at least 10 years or even life imprisonment. But regarding this other act, we don't know what they're changing or who's doing it. Amending it without consultation is unacceptable; it is a total violation of the 1959 Nehru-Master Tara Singh pact."
He emphasised that Bhagwant Mann's intentions have consistently been against the SGPC and Amritdhari Sikhs. "Forgive me, but Bhagwant Mann's views have been different from the start. He has been against the SGPC from the beginning, not just against the Badal group, but the SGPC itself. He has consistently spoken against Amritdhari Sikhs. You can look at old videos where he mocks those who carry kirpans, questioning if they are 'more' Sikh than others. He has been anti-Amritdhari from the start. His current intentions are completely different. This is a massive attack on the Sikh religion. Therefore, I want to caution and warn everyone: do not let these motives succeed," Phoolka said.
Phoolka clarified that these are his personal views, although he has joined the BJP. He stressed, "This is an issue I have been committed to since the beginning. We will uphold the Nehru-Master Tara Singh pact firmly. We will not allow any government to interfere in Sikh religious affairs, and that is what I am standing for."
He further elaborated on his past work for Sikh rights, saying, "I worked hard to ensure that under the SGPC Act, only Kesadhari (unshorn) Sikhs have voting rights. I stand by that today. It was brought during the Vajpayee government's time, when the Akali Dal was an ally. We made every effort then, and my stance remains the same. Secondly, regarding reserved seats for Sikhs, only Kesadhari Sikhs should have the right to reservation. I represented that case, and I still stand by it. The right to Sikh reservation belongs to those who are fully unshorn."
Phoolka urged all Sikhs, irrespective of political affiliation, to remember the Nehru-Master Tara Singh pact and ensure it is not violated. He warned the people of Punjab not to fall into the government's trap regarding the SGPC Act amendments. "Do not fall into Bhagwant Mann's trap. Regarding the Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act 2008, oppose every amendment unless it has prior approval from the SGPC," he said.
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