2 days ago
Punjab's sacrilege Bill: activist on tower protest to climb down only after law enacted, says morcha
Hours after the Punjab government tabled a Bill, providing for enhanced penalties, including life imprisonment and Rs 10 lakh fine for those guilty of sacrilege, the Sarb Dharam Beadbi Rokko Morcha said that its member Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, on protest atop a 400-feet high telecom tower for last over 275 days, would climb down only after the proposed legislation is cleared by the House and gets President's assent.
'Khalsa ji will not come down. We will wait for the Governor to give his assent to the Bill,' said convener of the morcha, Bhai Gurpreet Singh.
A source in the government, however, said that despite being a state-specific Bill, it will need Presidential assent before being notified as law.
Gurpreet Singh said, 'Though the Bill provides for life imprisonment, it has been diluted. We had given them the draft. It also provided for trial of parents if a juvenile commits the crime of sacrilege. Even the previous government's Bill was about life imprisonment.'
The Morcha had handed over a draft to the government. The government took a few days to get legal opinion and then tabled the Bill. 'The government thinks that it will be able to bring Khalsa ji down. He is not coming down,' added Gurpreet Singh.
The government has only tabled the Bill. It will come up for debate on Tuesday. After the debate, it would be handed over to the select committee. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier said that the select committee will take a few weeks to consult various stakeholders before giving a report to the Vidhan Sabha. After that a final draft will be prepared and tabled in Vidhan Sabha once again. 'In that case, the protest will continue,' said Gurpreet Singh. He added, 'Khalsa ji is not alone. Today, at least 15 Sikhs have started fast unto death at the morcha in Samana. They are doing satyagraha for the enactment of the law'. Khalsa had climbed up the tower in October last year. His condition has been deteriorating. The CM had met the representatives of the morcha two weeks ago and promised to bring a law. After that he had announced to summon special session of Vidhan Sabha.
How Mann and Capt govt Bills compare
The Bill tabled in Vidhan Sabha on Monday and the one tabled by former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's government provide for life imprisonment for sacrilege. However, a government functionary said that Amarinder's Bill was about insertions of Sections in IPC and CrPC while incumbent government has opted for a State Bill.
Amarinder government had passed The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018, which stipulated punishment upto life imprisonment for injury, damage or sacrilege to Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwat Gita, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people. The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, sought to amend Indian Penal Code (IPC) by inserting Section 295AA. Under the Section 295 A, a convict was subjected to punishment for a maximum of three years imprisonment with or without fine. Amarinder's Bill enhanced it.
It also enhanced the punishment under section 295 IPC (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) from two to ten years of imprisonment. These Bills were returned by the Centre recently asking the government that these should be in line with BNS and BNSS.
AAP government's Bill says that any person who commits an offence under this Act shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 10 years and which may extend to life imprisonment, and shall also be liable to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh which may extend upto Rs 10 lakh. It also says any person who attempts to commit an offence under this Act shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years and which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine which may extend upto Rs 3 lakhs. The offence(s) punishable under this Act shall be cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, triable by a sessions court. The investigation of the offence (s) punishable under this Act shall be conducted by the police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.
