Sangrur/Jalandhar, May 9 -- The new anti-sacrilege law has left those possessing "saroops" of Guru Granth Sahib and Gutka Sahibs at home on the edge, with several enquiring about Sikh "maryada" for handling these scriptures and others opting to simply hand them over to gurdwara managements. Devotees who perform nitnem (daily prayers) at home fear that unintentional lapses in ritual protocol or accidental mishandling of scriptures could lead to legal action, with many now opting for daily recitations at a gurdwara rather than at home. Enacted by the state government on April 20, the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, provides for stringent punishments, including life imprisonment and fines up to Rs.25 lakh, for any act of "beadbi" (sacrilege) against the Guru Granth Sahib. In Sangrur district, representatives from seven gurdwaras in Sunam gathered at Gurdwara Nankiana Sahib on Friday to collectively deposit 452 Gutka Sahibs (prayer books) and Pothis (hymn books) surrendered by residents. Swaranjit Singh, head granthi of Gurdwara Hargobindpura of Sunam, said the atmosphere of fear had prompted the mass surrender of scriptures. He said those who deposited the scriptures had opted to visit the gurdwara for daily prayers. "The government has created a situation where even those dedicated to religious service feel vulnerable, as human errors are inevitable during daily seva," said Jagmail Singh Chhajla, the mukh sewadar (chief volunteer) at All India Granthi Ragi Pracharak Singh Sabha, and head granthi of Gurdwara Sahib Baba Namdev in Sangrur. In Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, two families returned Pothis, citing their inability to handle them with due care. "Now, even village gurdwara committees are expressing reluctance in providing saroops to locals for Sehaj Path or Akhand Path, as the law will hold the parent custodian responsible in case of sacrilege," said Amrik Singh Ballowal, spokesperson of Banga-based Gurudwara Raja Sahib. Devotees have also been enquiring about returning worn-out saroops to avoid punitive action. Baljit Singh, manager of Gurudwara Talhan Sahib in Jalandhar, said people had been asked to take worn-out saroops to Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran for final rites at Gurdwara Angeetha Sahib. "We have been making regular announcements regarding proper handling of pious scriptures. However, no one has returned any scripture as of now," he said. Sharing another impact of the law, Paramveer Singh, professor at the department of encyclopaedia of Sikhism at Punjabi University, Patiala, said it could affect religious research by students. "Scholars and academics seeking further clarity would earlier highlight sentences in the scriptures, but would now be wary of it," he said....