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The Print
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Punjab govt must take Centre into confidence on new anti-sacrilege bill
If the bill is referred to the Union government, then it would be another year before it finally becomes an Act. Earlier governments — the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government and the Congress government headed by Captain Amarinder Singh — had also brought similar bills which were found to be insufficient to meet the demands of the situation and hence junked. It might take about six months for the committee to send the bill back to the Assembly for clearing and then to the governor for approval. The Aam Aadmi Party–led Punjab government has tabled the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025 which was discussed in the Assembly on Tuesday amidst ruckus and then referred to a select committee. A complex issue The new anti-sacrilege bill is said to have taken note of the shortcomings of the earlier bills and is hence more comprehensive, secular, and sufficiently stringent to be a deterrence for sacrilege offences considered very serious in the state. Meanwhile, 42-year-old Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, supposedly a non-political activist, has been staging a protest on top of a BSNL mobile tower in Punjab's Samana since October 2024 demanding an anti-sacrilege law. Though not widely reported in the mainstream media, such protests should be handled deftly by the government, lest it rakes up discontents of the past. In fact, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), under Sections 298, 299, and 300, already provides stringent punishments for religious offences. Punjab government as well as the activists who are protesting for a new law against sacrilege of religious texts are of the view that the provisions of the current Union laws are not stringent enough. Incidentally, the bill inadvertently equates the Bhagavad Gita with the holy books of other faiths, which may trigger a controversy. The bill could be amended to also include other religious texts considered holy by a vast majority of Hindus and/or be worded appropriately to capture the essence of all holy books of all faiths without naming any of them. Needless to say, the issue is a complex one. Going by the text of the present bill, albeit a short one, there are sufficient indications to suggest that adequate care has been taken to make the acts of sacrilege a serious offence inviting harsh punishments. But it is not clear why these provisions could not be added to the existing Sections of the BNS. After all, the BNS is an all-India law that applies equally to all states and all faiths. The AAP-led Punjab government appears to have not consulted the Union government or had any discussions with the Union Law Ministry on this issue. What should be of concern are the possibilities of other states following suit and enacting separate laws to suit the political environment of respective states citing the Punjab bill as a precedent. In a federal setup, the Constitution allows states to enact sufficient laws to maintain law and order and preserve religious harmony through stringent punishments for offences involving religious practices, texts, icons, and symbols. There have been instances of religious books being vandalised, places of worship desecrated, and statues of widely revered socio-political leaders popular among certain communities damaged. Also read: Stop telling South Indians to learn Hindi. In Hyderabad, languages coexist without imposition Extra caution Another aspect of concern should be the misuse of any law, however sincere the intentions of the lawmakers might be. The anti-sacrilege bill may have good intentions, but there is hardly any guarantee that such a law will not become a tool for miscreants wanting to drive a wedge between communities and followers of different faiths in the state. In a politically volatile border state where religious fault lines have been exploited by extreme elements bent on hurting the unity and integrity of the country, the state government needs to be extra vigilant and take the Union government into confidence at every stage. The argument that such laws will strengthen the law and order machinery of the state government and act as an effective deterrence against crimes is understandable. But in a state which witnessed the nightmare of radicalisation on religious lines to the extent of separatism, violent uprising against the Union government, and misuse of the holiest of holy Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple, which was followed by the assasination of a former prime minister, the government needs to exercise extra caution in dealing with issues related to faith. The state government also needs to be vigilant enough to frustrate insidious attempts by pro-Khalistan elements who could create socio-religious conflicts. Besides sacrilege of holy books, the bill could also include any attempt to vandalise national symbols like the flag and the Indian Constitution. Religious issues are highly emotive and sensitive, and hence need extra careful handling especially in a state where the religion-politics mix is much stronger compared to other states. Seshadri Chari is the former editor of 'Organiser'. He tweets @seshadrichari. Views are personal.
News18
15-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
India's First Anti-Sacrilege Bill: What AAP's Punjab Move Means for Religious Offences
Last Updated: Sacrilege includes any act that defaces, damages, burns, tears, or otherwise desecrates a holy scripture or any of its parts The Punjab government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), introduced a new and stringent Bill aimed at preventing religious sacrilege on Monday. Titled The Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025, the proposed legislation has stirred both support and controversy for its sweeping provisions and harsh punishments. News18 takes a detailed look at the Bill, what counts as sacrilege, and why the move matters. What Is the Anti-Sacrilege Bill? The Punjab cabinet approved the draft of what it calls India's first comprehensive anti-sacrilege legislation. The Bill seeks to criminalise acts of desecration or insult to sacred religious texts of all faiths, including the Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Bible, and Quran Sharif. According to NDTV, the Bill applies across faiths and aims to send a strong deterrent message after years of repeated sacrilege incidents in the state. The proposed law was introduced during a special session of the Punjab Assembly and will be examined by a select committee before it can become a law. What Counts as 'Sacrilege'? Under the Bill, sacrilege is defined broadly. It includes any act that defaces, damages, burns, tears, or otherwise desecrates a holy scripture or any of its parts. This includes deliberate attempts to insult a religion through such acts. As per Moneycontrol, the definition goes beyond physical damage to include any wilful act perceived as an insult to the holy book's sanctity. Supporters argue this is necessary to uphold religious sentiments, while critics warn that such broad definitions could be misused. Why Has the Law Been Proposed Now? Punjab has witnessed several high-profile incidents of sacrilege, particularly since 2015. The desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari and police firing on protesters in Behbal Kalan became flashpoints for public anger. Since then, demands for stricter legal action have grown. Previous governments attempted to introduce similar laws. The SAD-BJP coalition passed amendments in 2016, and the Congress government followed with its own version in 2018. However, those efforts failed after objections from the Centre, particularly over singling out one religion. The current Bill, according to The Tribune, has been worded to apply equally to scriptures of all religions in an effort to withstand legal scrutiny. Adding urgency to the matter was a recent protest by social activist Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, who spent over 270 days atop a mobile tower demanding action against sacrilege. His protest helped bring public and political attention back to the issue. What Punishments Does the Bill Propose? The penalties outlined in the bill are severe: • Life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of committing sacrilege against a holy scripture. • A fine ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh in addition to the prison term. • If the act of sacrilege leads to communal violence, injury, or death, the punishment escalates to a minimum of 20 years to life imprisonment, with fines up to Rs 20 lakh. • The Bill also states that those convicted will not be eligible for parole. Attempts to commit sacrilege will attract 3-5 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh. Abetment of the offence is punishable similarly to committing it. There is also a unique provision that holds guardians liable: if a minor or a person with a disability commits sacrilege, their parent or guardian may face prosecution, depending on the circumstances. The offences under this Bill are non-bailable, non-compoundable, and cognizable. Only a police officer of the rank of DSP or above will be allowed to investigate such cases. AAP Vs Congress On Bill The discussion on the Bill was deferred to Tuesday after Leader of Opposition, Congress' Partap Singh Bajwa, said members need time to prepare to share their views on the Bill. 'How can we debate on such a delicate issue without going through the draft?" he asked. However, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann trained his guns on Bajwa. 'I introduced the Bill. It should be considered immediately. Bajwa-ji is saying he has no information about the Bill. It is sad that if he does not have information about the desecration of Guru Sahib, then where has he been? Ask a five-year-old child what happened in Bargari? What happened in Behbal Kalan? What happened in Kotkapura? 'He says that he will come tomorrow [Tuesday] after preparing. We said okay. Surprisingly, the Congress has to prepare even in the case of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. They cannot talk without doing homework. No problem, come tomorrow after preparing. We will discuss tomorrow," he said. Responding to the criticism, Bajwa said: 'The Punjab chief minister had promised that if his party comes to power, it will do justice in sacrilege cases within 24 hours. But even today, after three-and-a-half years of this government, they do not even have a rough draft ready for this. You will be surprised that a similar Bill was brought by the Congress government in 2018. I would like to tell the House that the Bill was passed unanimously." About the Author Apoorva Misra Apoorva Misra is News Editor at with over nine years of experience. She is a graduate from Delhi University's Lady Shri Ram College and holds a PG Diploma from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! 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