Akal Takht panel asks Punjab govt to address objections before anti-sacrilege talks

NEW DELHI: The expert panel appointed by the Akal Takht on Friday asked the Punjab government to first submit a compliance report on the objections raised by the Sikh temporal seat before any further talks on the proposed anti-sacrilege law.The panel, formed to discuss the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026 with the state government, held its first meeting on Thursday.The panel said the Punjab government's July 29 response did not address the main concerns raised by the Akal Takht, especially those related to possible interference in Sikh religious matters.On June 29, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj had given the state government one month to respond to his objections to the anti-sacrilege law.In a statement on Friday, the Akal Takht secretariat said the government's response, submitted just before the deadline, was an attempt to avoid the main issues.