2 min readChandigarhMay 18, 2026 11:10 AM IST
Weeks after the Punjab government enacted a stringent new anti-sacrilege law, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is taking his religious tour beyond state borders with a visit to Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar Monday.
The visit follows Mann’s recent Shukrana Yatra (thanksgiving tour) across Punjab’s temporal seats after the passage of the landmark Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026.
An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson said CM Mann will bow before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and pay obeisance at the Takht, one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines and the birthplace of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The visit, though religious in nature, also carries significant political messaging at a time when the Punjab government has been trying to position itself as firmly committed to protecting Sikh religious sentiments.
The visit comes on the heels of the Punjab Assembly passing the anti-sacrilege legislation, which the AAP government touted as a historic move to ensure strict punishment in sacrilege-related cases. The issue has remained politically sensitive in Punjab ever since the 2015 Bargari sacrilege incidents and subsequent Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing cases that altered the state’s political discourse for years.
Following the passage of the law, Mann launched a statewide tour to pay obeisance at key shrines within Punjab, including the Akal Takht in Amritsar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, to reinforce his government’s emotional connection with the Sikh community.
The Patna visit is seen as part of a broader effort by the AAP leadership to strengthen its image on religious sensitivity. This move aims to counter Opposition claims that the government has failed to deliver justice in previous sacrilege cases, despite repeated promises.
The timing of the visit is also being closely watched, as it comes amid growing political competition over Sikh issues in Punjab. Rival parties, especially the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP, have frequently accused AAP of using religious symbolism for political optics. The ruling party, however, maintains that safeguarding the sanctity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib remains a matter beyond politics.
