Maharashtra govt to consult Sikh stakeholders before replacing 1956 Sri Hazur Sahib law
The decision was announced in Delhi by BJP leader RP Singh who met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday
The Maharashtra government will constitute a committee to consult with stakeholders and Sikh scholars before piloting the controversial Sri Hazur Sahib Act to govern the affairs of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Gurudwara, Nanded.
The decision was announced in Delhi by BJP leader RP Singh who met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday to convey concerns of the Sikh community in the matter.
Fadnavis deputed Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to meet with BJP leaders, including Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon on the matter.
Also read: Explainer: New Takht Hazur Sahib law row
Following detailed talks today, Singh said the state government has agreed to form a panel and conduct discussions with stakeholders before bringing the proposed legislation.
Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Bawankule announced the state government's decision to constitute a committee to consult Sikh stakeholders before replacing the Sri Hazur Sahib Act after meeting BJP leader RP Singh in New Delhi on Friday.
"I conveyed my concerns regarding the Hazur Sahib Act, 2026 to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and he promptly deputed his Cabinet colleague Chandrashekhar Bawankule to meet us on the matter. We had a fruitful discussion, with Kewal Singh Dhillon, president of Punjab BJP also joining. We requested that wider consultations be held before the Bill is introduced in the Maharashtra Assembly," RP Singh said.
Kewal Dhillon welcomed the development and said the decision to form a committee before introducing the proposed Hazur Sahib Act, 2026, in the Maharashtra Assembly was welcome.
"We are thankful to Maharashtra CM for responding with sensitivity to the concerns of the Sikh community. Their assurance of wider consultations is reassuring and reflects genuine respect for the sanctity and spiritual significance of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib," Dhillon said.
The controversy relates to Maharashtra government's decision to repeal the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib Abchalnagar Sahib Act 1956 and replace it with a new law called Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara Act.
Caretakers of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib recently asserted religious autonomy and issued a gurmata (collective religious edict) rejecting the Maharashtra government’s repeal proposal.
The gurmata is a binding, collective decision taken in the name of the Guru. It was read out by Singh Sahib Giani Ram Singh in the presence of Takht Jathedar Giani Kulwant Singh of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib.
