3 min readPatialaUpdated: Apr 19, 2026 01:11 PM IST
With Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria signing the amended Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008, the Dharam Yudh Morcha Sunday indicated that its prolonged dharna at Samana is likely to be called off this week.
The Bill, passed by the Punjab Assembly on April 13, addresses the protesters’ primary demand: stricter legal consequences for acts of sacrilege. Kaka Singh Kotra, general secretary of BKU Sidhupur, confirmed the development, stating, “Since the amended law has been approved, the morcha has every reason to lift the dharna.”
The agitation is centred around Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, a 43-year-old farmer who completes 555 days atop a BSNL tower in Samana. Khalsa climbed the tower on October 12, 2024, following a sacrilege incident in Jalandhar, vowing not to descend until a stricter law was implemented.
Despite repeated visits from Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who brought a copy of the passed Bill to the tower on April 14. Khalsa refused to budge until the Governor formally signed the legislation. Speaker Sandhwan is now expected to return to the site with the signed document to conclude the protest formally.
The road to resolution
The morcha plans to organise an Akhand Path at the protest site at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, with the dharna officially ending on the day of the Bhog. Khalsa is expected to descend on the same day in the presence of government representatives.
Throughout his 18-month ordeal, Khalsa lived in a temporary waterproof shelter on the tower. Supporters delivered food and monitored his health daily, noting that while his spirit remained firm, the restricted movement and minimal diet had taken a toll on his physical well-being.
The issue of sacrilege has remained a flashpoint in Punjab since the 2015 Bargari incident and the subsequent police firing at Behbal Kalan, which resulted in the deaths of two protesters. The new legislation is seen as an attempt to provide legal closure to a decade of religious unrest.
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While the Panthic Unity Committee credited Khalsa’s unwavering determination for the Bill’s passage, observers suggest the development is a “win-win” for the AAP government, allowing them to resolve a sensitive religious issue ahead of upcoming political challenges.
Meanwhile, Khalsa’s mother expressed appreciation for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for facilitating the passage of the legislation.
