The Punjab meeting handed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, amid opposition from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislators.

Notably, the Bill aimed to make broadcast and telecast of gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) free for all. The rights up until this level lie with the PTC channel.

Opening discussions on the identical, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Budh Ram, as per modification, stated it was the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) obligation of the board to propagate gurbani.

Highlighting the significance of the “mukh waak”, he stated the identical needs to be telecast throughout the globe. Giving a singular channel the rights for telecast, he stated, makes widespread distribution unattainable.

He added that the state authorities didn’t intend to usurp anybody’s rights to telecast gurbani and the crux of the modification, beneath new part 125A, was to permit all channels free broadcast rights.

Taking half within the dialogue, chief minister Bhagwant Mann stated gurbani was “sarab sanjhi”, however a single channel the rights to broadcast it had been restricted to a single channel for 11 years.

“I am not saying that gurbani telecast rights should be given to anyone close to me,” he stated, including that the gurbani telecast by PTC was not free to air and the channel held mental rights over it.

SAD’s Manpreet Singh Ayali, in the meantime, stated SGPC ought to run its personal channel to broadcast gurbani. Opposing the modification, he stated the federal government mustn’t intrude within the affairs of SGPC, an elected physique.

Notably, former Akal Takht performing jathedar Harpreet Singh had issued an edict suggesting that the SGPC run its personal channel.

Ayali recommended discussions with the SGPC and SAD on the difficulty, saying by no means the previous by no means stated that gurbani needs to be managed by a singular entity, however had a problem with the state interfering within the affairs of an elected physique.