Any anti-sacrilege law must have strict safeguards to prevent its weaponization, said Akal Takht Jathedar.

The debate over Punjab's anti-sacrilege law has intensified after Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said that any law dealing with sacrilege must include strong safeguards to prevent its misuse. In an interview published on Tuesday, he clarified that the Akal Takht is not opposed to legislation aimed at preventing sacrilege but wants a law that protects innocent people from being falsely implicated.According to Gargajj, past experiences with laws such as those related to sedition and anti-terror provisions have shown that legal measures can sometimes be misused. He argued that sacrilege is an extremely sensitive issue in Punjab and that any new law should clearly distinguish between deliberate acts of desecration and cases of administrative negligence. He warned that harsh penalties for unintentional lapses could lead to injustice.The Jathedar also suggested that the law should go beyond punishing the individual who physically commits an act of sacrilege. He said that if investigations reveal links to organisations, sects, or deras that allegedly encourage or plan such acts, their leadership should also face legal action. In his view, targeting only the immediate accused would leave the real conspirators untouched and weaken the effectiveness of the legislation.

Another point of concern raised by the Akal Takht relates to the wording of the proposed law. Religious authorities have objected to certain definitions and terminology, arguing that they do not accurately reflect Sikh religious beliefs and traditions. They have urged the Punjab government to revise these provisions after consulting Sikh institutions before implementing the law.The issue has also led to growing tensions between the Akal Takht and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government. Recently, the Akal Takht issued a warning to the government over what it described as defamatory campaigns against Sikh institutions and continued to press for amendments to the anti-sacrilege legislation.The Punjab government, on the other hand, has maintained that the objective of the law is to provide stronger legal protection against incidents of sacrilege. It has also expanded the list of protected religious terms and symbols used during investigations. The debate is expected to continue as both the government and Sikh religious authorities seek a balance between safeguarding religious sentiments and ensuring that the law cannot be misused for political or personal purposes.