Anti-sacrilege bill introduced in Punjab Assembly
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann introduced the 'Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill 2025' in the House.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa described the sacrilege issue as serious and urged the Speaker to hold the discussion on the bill on Tuesday.
Before the start of the third day of the special session of the state Assembly, the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture Bill, 2025 a state-specific law was cleared by the cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mann here.
The bill mandates strict punishment, extending up to life imprisonment, for the desecration of holy scriptures, including the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Bible and Quran, an official spokesperson said after the cabinet meeting.
With the enactment of the law, the State seeks to further strengthen the ethos of communal harmony, brotherhood, peace, and amity. It will also act as a strong deterrent against anti-social and anti-national activities by ensuring severe punishment for perpetrators of this heinous crime, said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said there have been numerous incidents in the past involving the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and other revered granths, deeply wounding public sentiments and causing unrest in society.
While sections 298, 299 and 300 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, address such issues, they do not prescribe sufficiently stringent penalties to serve as an effective deterrent, said the spokesperson.
Considering the gravity of such offences and the imperative to preserve communal harmony and religious sanctity, the Cabinet found it necessary to introduce state-specific legislation providing enhanced penalties - including life imprisonment - for those convicted of sacrilege against any holy granth.
Notably, until now, no specific legislation existed that directly addressed offences against 'holy granths', often resulting in leniency or evasion of serious action by culprits, said the spokesperson.
This new legislation aims to fill that legal void by criminalising and prescribing punishments for acts of sacrilege across all sects and faiths.
Under the proposed law, any person found guilty of sacrilege may face imprisonment ranging from 10 years to life.
Those attempting the offence may be sentenced to three to five years, while individuals found abetting the crime will be punished in accordance with the offence committed. PTi CHS VSD RT
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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