The row around Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Satluj’ is showing no signs of slowing down. What began as outrage over the film’s sudden removal from Zee5 has now turned into a larger political and public debate, with fresh announcements from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Akal Takht adding new momentum to the issue.
The Honey Trehan-directed film, inspired by the life and work of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, disappeared from Zee5 just two days after its release on the platform. Since then, several groups and organisations have started arranging public screenings across different parts of India. Now, one of Punjab’s biggest political parties has declared that it will take the film directly to the people.
Shiromani Akali Dal plans screenings across Punjab
Shiromani Akali Dal will screen @diljitdosanjh’s epic film #Satluj across Punjab.
This is aimed at ensuring that today’s youth and our coming generations know about the unspeakable tragedy and repression unleashed by the then butcher Congress governments against Bhai Jaswant… pic.twitter.com/MbAjZdTxLG— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) July 8, 2026
On Wednesday, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced that the party would organise screenings of ‘Satluj’ in villages and towns across Punjab.
Sharing the announcement on X, Badal said the screenings are meant to ensure that younger generations understand what he described as the suffering faced by thousands of innocent Sikh youths and prominent Sikh personalities, including Jaswant Singh Khalra, during the Congress government.
According to him, the film highlights a difficult chapter in Punjab’s history that should not be forgotten. He said the party wants children and future generations to learn about those events instead of allowing that history to disappear.
Badal says history should not be silenced
Along with his English post, Badal also shared a detailed message in Punjabi, where he described ‘Satluj’ as a film that tells the truth about a painful period in Punjab.
He alleged that thousands of Sikh youths who raised their voices against the violence of that era were later killed in fake police encounters during the Congress government. Badal further claimed that attempts are now being made to stop people from even speaking about those incidents.
He said the Shiromani Akali Dal would oppose any effort to prevent people from remembering or discussing that chapter of history and promised that the party would continue taking the film to people across the state.
The story behind ‘Satluj’
Directed by Honey Trehan, ‘Satluj’ stars Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, the well-known human rights activist who investigated alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the 1990s.
Khalra spent years collecting evidence related to people who had allegedly disappeared or were killed during the insurgency period. Through his investigation, he claimed that nearly 25,000 people across Punjab had been killed by the Punjab Police under the cover of anti-insurgency operations.
The film follows Khalra’s efforts to uncover these alleged killings and bring the issue into the public domain, making it one of the most talked-about political dramas of recent times.
Film’s removal sparks nationwide reaction
The debate intensified after ‘Satluj’ was taken down from Zee5 only two days after it became available on the streaming platform.
Unexpected removal triggered widespread discussion with many questioning why the film was no longer available. Since then, various organisations and community groups have stepped in to arrange independent public screenings in different parts of the country so that audiences can still watch the film.
The issue has now grown beyond entertainment, becoming part of a larger conversation around history, public memory and freedom to discuss sensitive events.
Akal Takht announces special ardas on July 14
The Akal Takht has also announced a religious programme connected to the legacy of Jaswant Singh Khalra.
On Wednesday, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj said a special ‘ardas’ (prayer) will be held on July 14 at Harike Pattan, on the banks of the Sutlej River.
The gathering will pray for the eternal peace of the innocent Sikh youths whose cases were brought to public attention through Khalra’s work. It will also seek justice for the families affected by those incidents.
According to the announcement, the religious congregation will remember those who were allegedly killed by the police during that period and offer prayers in their memory.