The Punjab Cabinet on Monday approved an amendment in the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925 to make transmission of Gurbani from Harimandar Sahib (Golden Temple) “free for all.”  Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)  government of interfering in the religious affairs of the Sikhs.
At present, the SGPC has given exclusive rights to a Punjabi television network, PTC, linked to the Badal family for telecasting Gurbani from the Golden Temple.
Addressing a Press conference after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said as per the  Sikh Gurdwara Amendment Act 2023, the telecast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple will be free-to-air in India and abroad.  He, however, said the broadcasters will have to ensure that no commercial is aired half an hour before and after the video or audio telecast of the Gurbani.
On SGPC’s allegation that the state government has no right to amend the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, Mann said the Supreme Court in its 2014 decision has made it clear that it’s not an inter-state Act but a state Act.
The CM said the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 has no word on broadcast or live telecast of Gurbani. He said it was misused in 2012 for giving exclusive rights to air the Gurbani for 11 years to one TV channel owned by the Badal family. “As a result, Sikhs have to subscribe to this channel which is expensive as it’s clubbed with three to four other channels. It should be free of cost,”  he added.
Mann said now the SGPC is making the case for floating a tender for airing Gurbani but the Badal family may again get the exclusive rights through the tender.  “In 2012, the telecast rights were given without a tender. Now SGPC is saying they will float tenders as the agreement will come to an end in July. If we don’t do this (amendment), the telecast rights will again be given to Badals.  It’s being opposed as exclusive rights of one channel are coming to an end even as it will still be available for all channels. That channel (PTC) is not Panth (Sikh religion),”  he said.
The CM said he is not making the case for giving the telecast rights to the government or a private channel owned by his family or friends but to all channels so that Sikhs all over the world get free feed of Gurbani.   He said the amendment will be placed in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday.
The SGPC chief, Dhami, however, hit out at the AAP government’s move and said the state government has no right to amend the  Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925.
Reading out excerpts from Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 at a Press conference in Amritsar earlier today, Dhami said it is clear in the Act that the state government can’t interfere in this matter. “A religious issue is being given political colours in an attempt to appease the political master sitting in Delhi. The Punjab government can’t frame this Act because it was drafted by it before the partition. It can’t amend it…,” he added.
Dhami said the CM should not interfere in the religious affairs of the Sikhs. “Sikh affairs are related to the sentiments and concerns of the Sangat, in which governments have no right to interfere directly… “ he said adding broadcasting of Gurbani is not a normal broadcast, its sanctity and ethics should not be neglected.
Earlier in May, the CM had said instead of giving free rights of Gurbani to all the channels, the SGPC president is toeing the line set by his masters (Badals)  to give it only to one channel. Mann had alleged the SGPC is acting like a puppet in the hands of the Badal family.