"Show Me 1 Bill": Network's Rs 1 Crore Challenge On Free Gurbani Telecast Row

Amid escalating politics over Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's proposed Bill for the free broadcast of Gurbani from the Harminder Sahib, or Golden Temple, in Amritsar, the head of the news network responsible for the broadcast so far has challenged the entire state cabinet to bring a single customer bill where they had to pay to subscribe to Gurbani. He announced a reward of Rs 1 crore to anyone across the country who can produce a bill showing they had to pay to subscribe.

"Gurbani is already free. All PTC Network channels are designated as free-to-air channels by the government of India. No cable operator, DTH operator, charges any money. It is also available for free on YouTube and Facebook. So how are they claiming to make Gurbani Free To Air?" Rabindra Narayan, Managing Director, PTC Network, said.

Bhagwant Mann hit back, contesting that Gurbani is not free-to-air right now, and has been running on the same channel for 11 years. He claimed the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal body, had ordered the SGPC to set up its own channel, and question it hasn't done so.

"When am I saying, give it to my channel? I don't have any channel, so what is Badal's problem?" he said.

"Dhami sahab (Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami) is saying that it has been free-to-air. This is not free-to-air, if it was, then why doesn't Gurbani come on all the channels? It's under copyright," Mr Mann argued.

The chief minister had yesterday contended that Gurbani is everyone's right, and it should be free of cost. He said he plans on adding a new section to the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, after presenting a proposal in the state assembly.

"With the blessings of God, we are going to make a historic decision tomorrow, as per the demand of all devotes, we are adding a new clause in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 that the transmission of Gurbani from Harminder Sahib will be free for all... no tender required... tomorrow in the cabinet... on June 20, a vote will be taken in the state assembly," his tweet read.

Harmandir Sahib has been, since 1998, broadcasting Gurbani in the morning and evening.

Broadcast rights of Gurbani have been with the PTC network, owned by the politically powerful Badal family, since 2007. The network pays the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee -- which administers the Harmandir Sahib -- Rs 2 crore annually for this.

Politically, it is likely to dilute the Panthic aura of the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal, which is dominated by the Badals.

SGPC and the PTC Network's contract for the telecast of Gurbani expires in July 2023.

SGPC has alleged that the government is interfering in religious matters.