Punjab Approves Strict Sacrilege Law; Protester to End 555-Day Tower Vigil
After a prolonged protest lasting 555 days, Gurjeet Singh Khalsa is set to descend from a telecommunications tower in Samana, Punjab, following the approval of stricter sacrilege laws. The Dharam Yudh Morcha announced the end of its demonstration after Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria signed the amended Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008. Khalsa, a farmer, had climbed the tower in October 2024 demanding legal consequences for acts of sacrilege, a sensitive issue in Punjab since the 2015 Bargari incident. The bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly on April 13, addressing the protesters' primary demand. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who previously visited the site with the passed bill, is expected to present the formally signed legislation to conclude the agitation. The protest will officially end with an Akhand Path religious ceremony. This development is viewed as a significant political victory for the Aam Aadmi Party government, resolving a decade-long source of religious unrest and potential political instability ahead of future electoral challenges.
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Punjab Approves Strict Sacrilege Law; Protester to End 555-Day Tower Vigil
After a prolonged protest lasting 555 days, Gurjeet Singh Khalsa is set to descend from a telecommunications tower in Samana, Punjab, following the approval of stricter sacrilege laws. The Dharam Yudh Morcha announced the end of its demonstration after Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria signed the amended Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008. Khalsa, a farmer, had climbed the tower in October 2024 demanding legal consequences for acts of sacrilege, a sensitive issue in Punjab since the 2015 Bargari incident. The bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly on April 13, addressing the protesters' primary demand. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who previously visited the site with the passed bill, is expected to present the formally signed legislation to conclude the agitation. The protest will officially end with an Akhand Path religious ceremony. This development is viewed as a significant political victory for the Aam Aadmi Party government, resolving a decade-long source of religious unrest and potential political instability ahead of future electoral challenges.
The Indian Express