Chandigarh: A sub-committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Thursday expressed concern over “continued non-disclosure” of key records by Punjab govt and the state assembly on the proposed Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025.The 15-member panel, which met at the SGPC office here, also said chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s recent statement on bringing a stricter anti-sacrilege law had created “confusion”.Mann announced the govt would convene a special session of the assembly on April 13 (Baisakhi) to amend the Jagt Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008, and introduce stricter provisions against ‘beadbi’.The SGPC panel said the statement blurred the distinction between the proposed 2025 bill, which covers sacred texts of all religions, and the 2008 law, which deals specifically with the printing, publication and distribution of Guru Granth Sahib. It said the govt neither consulted SGPC nor shared any draft amendments to the 2008 law.Addressing media, sub-committee chairman Justice M M S Bedi (retd) said the panel was formed after receiving a reference from the Punjab vidhan sabha select committee on Aug 19, 2025, seeking suggestions on the proposed bill. He said SGPC had repeatedly sought information from the committee, the assembly secretariat and Punjab govt on shortcomings in earlier bills of 2016 and 2018, objections raised by the Centre, and safeguards proposed to prevent misuse of the new law.Bedi said SGPC had also pointed out flaws in the Punjabi translation of the bill and flagged legal ambiguities that could lead to misuse. Despite multiple communications, including reminders sent between Sept 2025 and March 2026, no substantive response was received, he said.The panel noted the absence of key records, including correspondence with the Centre, made it difficult to offer informed suggestions, and cautioned that the consultation process risked being reduced to a mere formality.
