A fresh probe, old wounds: Punjab’s sacrilege row simmers ahead of 2027 polls

More than a decade after the 2015 sacrilege controversy and the subsequent police firing at Faridkot district’s Behbal Kalan village, the issue has once again taken centrestage in Punjab’s political discourse.

On June 10, Giani Raghbir Singh, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, recorded his statement before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing case. In his statement, Giani Raghbir Singh reportedly said that during the Akal Takht’s own proceedings in December 2024, SAD chief Badal had taken responsibility for the sacrilege incidents and the police firing that had occurred during the SAD-BJP government tenure. At the time, the Akal Takht had imposed religious punishment on Badal and other senior Akali leaders, saying they were unfit to lead the Sikh community. The Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Sources said Giani Raghbir Singh informed investigators that the admission formed part of the basis on which the Akal Takht had pronounced religious punishment against the SAD leadership. According to Giani Raghbir Singh, the admission was made publicly before the Sikh clergy, witnessed by the sangat and media, and was also recorded on video.

The development triggered a political and religious storm, reopening old wounds that shaped Punjab’s electoral politics in 2017 and continued to resonate in 2022.

With the 2027 Assembly elections still some distance away, the sacrilege issue appears far from fading from public memory. The issue has come alive again amid reports of backdoor talks between the Sukhbir Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP to renew their alliance, though both parties have publicly denied any talks.

What happened in Behbal Kalan?

The Behbal Kalan firing remains one of the most politically sensitive episodes in Punjab’s recent history. On October 14, 2015, two anti-sacrilege protesters were killed in police firing during demonstrations against the alleged desecration of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari village two days prior. The issue became the defining political narrative of the 2017 Assembly elections, contributing significantly to the defeat of the then SAD-BJP government. It remained a prominent issue in the 2022 elections as well, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) promising action against those responsible for the firing.

The continued political relevance of the issue was visible earlier this year when the Punjab Assembly, during a special session on April 13, unanimously passed the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act, proposing stricter punishment for sacrilege-related offences. The legislation was projected by the AAP government as a major step towards ensuring justice and protecting the sanctity of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The Act was signed by the Governor and implemented by the Punjab government in April itself.

The AAP has lost little time in capitalising on the latest developments. Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal has repeatedly referred to the SAD as a “beadbi (sacrilege) party” during public meetings. Punjab AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu said the latest revelations had exposed attempts by the Akali leadership to evade accountability.

Referring to Giani Raghbir Singh’s statement, Pannu on Friday claimed Badal had accepted responsibility for the Behbal Kalan firing and sought forgiveness before the Akal Takht. “Punjab has not forgotten the firing incidents, the sacrilege cases, and the role played by the then Akali-BJP government,” he said, further claiming that a video recording of the alleged admission was preserved with the Akal Takht and arguing that SAD leaders were now publicly making statements contrary to what had been admitted before the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs.

The statement, however, has also triggered a parallel debate on Sikh maryada (the code of conduct followed by Sikhs) and the sanctity of Akal Takht proceedings.

Former acting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, now president of the SAD (Punar Surjit), a rebel Akali faction, said, “The proceedings were a part of our religious code and principles. They took place at the Akal Takht and cannot be a part of the evidence.” Giani Harpreet Singh was among those present during the December 2024 proceedings.

The SAD has gone further, accusing Giani Raghbir Singh of violating established Akal Takht protocol. Party chief Badal alleged that a “fresh effort had been initiated to implicate him in a false case”. “Whatever I said, I said it before everyone. Whatever happened during the tenure of our government, whether it was done by our worker or any employee or anyone else, I took ownership of that as the president of the party.”

“Now, Giani Raghbir Singh is acting like an active AAP worker. But let me tell everyone that neither am I afraid of cases being registered against me nor afraid of going to jail,” Badal added.

Senior SAD leader Daljeet Singh Cheema on Friday said that Giani Raghbir Singh had violated the “hukamnama (divine edict)” of the Akal Takht prohibiting the use of its own proceedings in court-related cases. “Former Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti had given an edict that the proceedings of the Takht should not be presented as evidence in courts. Strict directions had been given to the Sikh sangat to ensure this was followed in letter and spirit,” Cheema said.

He termed Giani Raghbir Singh’s appearance before the SIT “highly condemnable” and alleged that the former Jathedar had become a “stooge” of the AAP government.

The criticism has not been confined to the Akali Dal. Former Takht Sri Patna Sahib Jathedar Giani Ranjit Singh Gohar-e-Maskeen also accused Giani Raghbir Singh of violating Sikh maryada. “Incorporating the proceedings of the Akal Takht into police records is condemnable,” he said, arguing that such actions challenge the sanctity and independence of the institution.