Chandigarh, July 15:
Led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday unanimously referred the Punjab Prevention of Crime against Religious Scriptures Bill, 2025 to the select committee of the assembly for seeking the views of all the stakeholders.
Taking part in the discussions of the bill on the floor of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister said that Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji was the living Guru, who was highly revered by one and all across the globe. Bhagwant Singh Mann categorically said that Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji was a lighthouse of peace and tranquility for the entire mankind and the Punjab government is fully alive to the deep emotional hurt caused by the incidents of sacrilege against the holy granths in the past. He said that it is unfortunate that some forces had even gone to an extent of committing the most heinous sin against mankind through desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
The Chief Minister said that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is an eternal Guru for mankind and no one could ever tolerate this dastardly act. Likewise, he said that Bhagwad Gita, Quran Sharif, Holy Bible and other granths were also respected by humanity for showing a way of life to them. Bhagwant Singh Mann envisioned that this bill will ensure that no such heinous crime takes place in the future by making provision of the sternest punishment against the culprits.
The Chief Minister said that it is a serious issue and he was firmly of the opinion that no one will ever oppose this bill. He said that every devout Sikh is deeply connected with the ‘Shabad Guru’- in the form of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and Gurmukhi which means originating from the mouth of Guru. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the sacrilege incidents had bruised the psyche of every Punjabi in general and every Sikhs in particular.
The Chief Minister said that in the absence of harsh punishment against this unpardonable crime there was no end to these incidents due to which the bill was necessitated. He said that it is unfortunate that after these incidents the accused evaded punishment by declaring himself mentally unstable, which was also a mockery of the law. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this bill will plug all such pilferages which allowed the perpetrators to escape the punishment for these incidents.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Prevention of Offences against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025 have been necessitated as over the years state has witnessed numerous incidents involving the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and other revered granths, deeply wounding public sentiment and causing unrest in society. He said that as existing law do not prescribe sufficiently stringent penalties to serve as an effective deterrent, this state-specific legislation will provide enhanced penalties—including life imprisonment—for those convicted of sacrilege against any holy granth. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the bill mandates strict punishment, extending up to life imprisonment, for the desecration of sacred granths including the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwad Gita, Holy Bible, Quran Sharif, and other revered granths.
The Chief Minister said with the enactment of this law, the state seeks to further strengthen the ethos of communal harmony, brotherhood, peace, and amity adding that 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. He said that this bill has been introduced in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and to take the view of all the stakeholders it has been now referred to the Select Committee of the state assembly. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this select committee will solicit the views of all the social, religious and other organizations of the state to make this bill more effective.
The Chief Minister bemoaned that though the unfortunate incidents of sacrilege date back to 2016 but the perpetrators of this cowardly act have not got the punishment for their sins. He said that even those who had assumed power by publically taking the oath of Gutka Sahib diluted the case so as to benefit the culprits. Slamming the previous governments for adopting an apathetic approach towards this highly emotive issue, Bhagwant Singh said that due to this laxity the criminals who have bruised the psyche of Sikhs by committing such unpardonable crime are still roaming free.
Reiterating the firm commitment of his government to punish the perpetrators of sacrilege incidents in the state, the Chief Minister said that it is the bounden duty of his government to ensure that these dreaded criminals get punishment. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that every person who has been hand in glove in this crime will be ensured exemplary punishment for this sin. However, he said that this historic bill will definitely ensure that no such unpardonable act takes place in the coming times adding that the state government is duty bound to prevent such incidents in the future.
