Patiala, April 25 -- Activist Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, 43, who had been protesting atop a 400-foot BSNL tower in Samana town of Patiala district for the past 560 days, descended safely on Friday morning. A former army sepoy and dairy farmer, Khalsa had climbed the structure on October 12, 2024, to demand stricter punishments for incidents of beadbi (sacrilege) involving Guru Granth Sahib. The breakthrough follows the Punjab government's official notification of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. The new legislation, which fulfilled Khalsa's core demand, proposes a minimum of seven years' imprisonment, extendable to life for criminal conspiracies intended to disrupt communal harmony, along with fines of up to Rs.25 lakh. While the Punjab assembly passed the Bill on April 13 and governor Gulab Chand Kataria gave his assent on April 19, Khalsa refused to budge until the official gazette notification was issued and presented to him at the tower's base. The rescue operation began at 7.25 am on Friday under tight security. Samana SDM Richa Goyal said the 30-minute operation was carried out by the Punjab fire department under the supervision of engineers regiment from Army's 1 Armoured Division. "He was first lowered using a pulley and ropes and then brought to the ground with the help of a hydraulic turntable ladder," said Goyal. As he stepped onto the ground at 7.35 am amid "Sikh Jaikara" and "Jo Bole So Nihal" chants, Khalsa declared, "We have won. By the Guru's grace, I have come down safely after 18 months and 12 days. I thank the Punjab government for enacting this law." Khalsa said his next target was to ensure the implementation of an anti-sacrilege law in Haryana on the lines of Punjab. When asked how he survived extreme weather conditions, he said it was reciting the Gurbani throughout that gave him the strength to continue his protest. He added that he had covered his makeshift shelter with a green plastic sheet and tarpaulin to protect himself from harsh weather. Khalsa had arranged basic necessities, including a battery, a cot and a pot on the small 2x6-foot platform atop the BSNL tower. "For me, this platform was like heaven, as I felt very close to God. Even this morning, I didn't feel like coming down," he added. Following Khalsa's descent, the protest at Baba Banda Singh Chowk - spearheaded by Dharam Yudh Morcha in his support - ended on Friday evening after conclusion of the three-day Akhand Path. A resident of Kheri Nagaiyan village, Khalsa's military background is credited for his survival in the cramped 8-by-10-foot space near the tower's antennae for over a year and a half. He stayed in a makeshift tarpaulin shelter atop the tower, using a polythene bag to relieve himself. He survived on a single daily meal sent up by supporters via ropes. Supporters, who had turned the BSNL exchange into a site of religious vigil, showered the ambulance with flower petals as he was taken for a medical check-up. Samana senior medical officer Dr Nandini confirmed that Khalsa was found fit after a check-up by her team. "He was walking on his own and participated in multiple events. However, we have still advised physiotherapy," she said. Khalsa's wife, Gurpreet Kaur, who watched the descent with relief, said the family had spent nearly two years in constant anxiety. Their son, Ashmeet Singh, cleared his matriculation exams while his father was still on the tower. His brother took over the dairy business to support the family during his 18-month absence....