Punjab Sikh Scripture Burning Case

In March 2025, an incident in Punjab's Amritsar district triggered massive unrest when torn pages of the Guru Granth Sahib were found burned near a rural gurdwara. Bhai Amrik Singh, a local resident with alleged links to radical groups, was arrested after CCTV footage surfaced. The desecration sparked widespread Sikh protests led by activist Simranjit Kaur, who mobilized thousands demanding swift justice. The SGPC condemned the act as a deliberate provocation intended to inflame communal tensions during the state's harvest season. Rapid police intervention and curfew imposition contained the immediate violence, but the symbolic nature of the sacrilege deepened religious sensitivities across the region.

As of mid-2026, the trial remains ongoing in a special Punjab court. Bhai Amrik Singh has been charged under Sections 295-A and 153-A of the Indian Penal Code for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and promote enmity. The court denied bail twice, citing the case's communal sensitivity. A parallel SGPC inquiry recommended additional security protocols for gurdwaras statewide.

The core dispute centered on whether the act constituted an isolated criminal sacrilege or part of a coordinated conspiracy to destabilize Punjab's communal harmony. Religious groups demanded the case be tried under India's stringent anti-terror laws, while civil liberty advocates warned against overreaching state power. The accused's motives remained contested, with conflicting narratives about his mental state and potential political manipulation of the ensuing protests.

The burning triggered three days of hartals and border highway blockades, paralyzing trade. It revived painful memories of the 2015 Bargari sacrilege incidents, with Sikh diaspora groups staging solidarity marches in London, Toronto, and California. Interfaith dialogue platforms saw temporary suspension, while Punjab's legislature fast-tracked a bill increasing penalties for religious desecration. The case deepened the political rift between the state's ruling party and Sikh religious bodies ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.