AMRITSAR, May 9 -- The Punjab government's recent enactment of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, designed to impose stricter penalties for sacrilege (beadbi) of the Sikh holy scripture, has sparked significant debate and divided the Sikh community.

The 2015 Bargari sacrilege incidents sparked global Sikh outrage and widespread unrest across Punjab. This initial desecration, followed by numerous similar incidents in the years that followed, fuelled a persistent community demand for new legislation to ensure stringent punishment for perpetrators.

Sikh activist Gurjit Singh Khalsa ended a 560-day protest atop a 400-foot BSNL tower on April 24. He climbed down after Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria approv...