The Punjab Government has sought legal opinion on the suggestions made by the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj regarding the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. Based on these suggestions the government will take a call on amending the anti-sacrilege law in the upcoming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.“We are talking to the SGPC on this issue. The suggestions given by the Jathedar to the government have been forwarded to the Advocate General Punjab. If he recommends the changes, we will go ahead and do it,” Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann told The Tribune, on the sidelines of a press conference convened to announce his government’s decision to issue 10 lakh new ration cards to eligible beneficiaries, who have hitherto been left out of the ambit of National Food Security Act.The legal opinion on the amendments suggested by Akal Takht Jathedar, after he had summoned all Sikh MLAs on June 29, could be sent anytime now. The amendments are expected to be made during the Monsoon Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, which will be held from August 3-10. The Punjab Cabinet has given its nod for convening the Monsoon Session.It may be mentioned that the Akal Takht has suggested at least 10 changes to five clauses of the law. Among the key recommendations, the Takht has sought the removal of all provisions relating to the ‘custodian’ of Guru Granth Sahib.The Takht also sought the removal of provisions mandating a central register of Guru Granth Sahib birs, uploading their details on an online portal and assigning unique identification numbers. In a letter sent to the Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha on July 4, it was stated that the Akal Takht was of the opinion that such provisions amount to government interference in Panthic affairs.Another significant objection concerns Clause 7(5)(1), which prescribes imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for violations of the Act’s provisions, excluding the offence of sacrilege. The objection is based on the premise that it could be widely misused to settle personal scores by filing false complaints. It has sought clearer safeguards and a more precise definition of the offence.The Takht has also raised concerns over Section 6A, which empowers the government to frame rules through an official notification. It has recommended that no rules or future amendments to those rules should be notified without prior consultation and approval from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akal Takht.The Takht has also objected to replacing the traditional Sikh term bir with saroop. While the original 2008 law used the word bir, the proposed amendment substitutes it with saroop.