The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab headed by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has introduced an anti-sacrilege bill titled the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill 2025 in the Punjab assembly. According to the PTI, this bill proposes punishment up to 10 years to life imprisonment for sacrilegious acts against the religious scriptures Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Bible and Quran.
After the cabinet meeting, an official spokesperson said that with the enactment of the law, the state seeks to further strengthen the ethos of communal harmony, brotherhood, peace and amity. The spokesperson added that the bill will act as a strong deterrent against the anti-social and anti-national activities by ensuring severe punishment for the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
What was the need of the anti-sacrilege bill?
The official spokesperson said that many incidents in the past have been reported of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and other revered granths. As per the spokesperson, these incidents have deeply hurt the public sentiments and caused unrest in society. The spokesperson added that there are sections 298, 299 and 300 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 that address such issues. However, they do not prescribe sufficiently stringent penalties to serve as an effective deterrent, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson said that due to 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. It will do so by providing enhanced penalties – including life imprisonment – for those convicted of sacrilege against any holy granth.
BJP leader Ashwani Kumar on anti-sacrilege bill
In an interaction with the ANI, BJP leader Ashwani Kumar called it a move to divert attention from the main issues. Also, the leader asked that what would be the definition of the sacrilege in the bill.
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