Amritsar: SGPC protests 'Satluj' Ban, questions govt's leniency in Jaswant Singh Khalra case; View Pics
Babushahi Bureau
Amritsar (Punjab), July 10, 2026: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday staged a protest march in Amritsar against the ban on the film 'Satluj', which depicts the life and human rights struggle of Shaheed Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra, while also questioning the government's alleged "leniency" towards a police officer convicted in the Khalra case.
The protest march began from the Ghanta Ghar Plaza outside Sri Darbar Sahib and concluded at the Deputy Commissioner's office, where SGPC leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to the Punjab Governor seeking the immediate lifting of the ban on the film.
Addressing the gathering, SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra's sacrifice symbolised the fight for truth and human rights. He said Khalra had documented cases of unidentified cremations and disappearances of Sikh youths during a period marked by fear and violence in Punjab.
Dhami alleged that Khalra was abducted and killed for exposing the truth and said banning the film 'Satluj' shortly after its release raises serious questions.
"Truth cannot be suppressed by banning a film that portrays Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra's struggle and the atrocities committed against Sikhs," Dhami said.
He also questioned what he described as the government's "lenient approach" towards a police officer serving a sentence in the Khalra case, while alleging that Sikh prisoners who have completed or exceeded their sentences continue to await relief.
Referring to Sikh prisoners, including Balwant Singh Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Hawara, Dhami alleged that issues concerning Sikh sentiments have consistently been ignored. He also claimed that a decision on Hawara's parole request to meet his elderly mother was still pending.
The SGPC chief urged the government to revoke the ban on 'Satluj', saying the film would help the younger generation understand Punjab's history and the human rights issues of that period.
He also appealed to the Sikh community to participate in the July 14 Ardas ceremony to be held on the banks of the Sutlej River in memory of Sikh martyrs, as announced by the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Following the protest, SGPC representatives submitted a memorandum to Additional Deputy Commissioner Pallavi Mishra for onward transmission to the Punjab Governor, demanding the removal of the ban on the film and justice for victims of the alleged excesses against Sikh youths.