Congress At Akal Takht: A New Chapter But Not Historical Closure

Updated: Jul 04, 2026 16:36 pm IST Published On Jul 04, 2026 16:25 pm IST Last Updated On Jul 04, 2026 16:36 pm IST

Published On Jul 04, 2026 16:25 pm IST

Last Updated On Jul 04, 2026 16:36 pm IST

For decades, references to the Indian National Congress from the platform of Akal Takht have largely been linked to the pain of June and November 1984. Against this historical background, the collective appearance of Punjab Congress MLAs on June 29 appeared to open a new chapter.

They shared the venue with representatives of the Aam Aadmi Party, the Shiromani Akali Dal and other political and religious leaders during proceedings on the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. The Akal Takht had objected to certain provisions and asked the Punjab government to make corrective amendments within one month.

Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa was given ample time to present the Congress party's position, while Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj also invited Pargat Singh to speak.

Although non-Sikh ministers had only been asked to submit written explanations, non-Sikh MLAs were not called. But Congress legislators Aruna Chaudhary from Dinanagar and Naresh Puri from Sujanpur also arrived at the Secretariat. They were not turned away and were allowed to participate in the proceedings.

Congress legislators were also invited to partake in langar alongside other Sikh religious and political leaders present at the gathering. The focus remained firmly on legislative accountability rather than personal appearance or religious observance.

The Human Weight Of The Occasion

The seriousness of the moment was visible even before the proceedings began.

I met senior Congress MLA Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, who represents Fatehgarh Churian, shortly before he was to appear before the Jathedar. He seemed visibly perturbed by the controversy that had followed the legislators' support for the law. The weight of the occasion, as well as the historical baggage carried by his party, appeared evident on his face.

When I asked him about the legislation, he said, at that moment, he had come only to present himself unconditionally before the Akal Takht. He would answer political and media questions after fulfilling what he regarded as his immediate and foremost duty.

The second example was Rana Gurjeet Singh, the Congress MLA from Kapurthala. He arrived at the........

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