Punjab's anti-sacrilege bill proposes life imprisonment, Rs 10 lakh fine

Chandigarh: The AAP government on Monday introduced in the Punjab Assembly an anti-sacrilege bill, proposing punishment up to life imprisonment for sacrilegious acts against religious scriptures.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tabled the 'Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill 2025' in the House for discussion.

The Speaker deferred the discussion on the bill for Tuesday after Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa pointed out that they need time to prepare to keep their viewpoints effectively on the bill, considering the seriousness of the issue.

Before the start of the third day of the special session of the state Assembly, the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025, 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 Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Bible and Quran, an official spokesperson said after the cabinet meeting.

According to the Bill, any person found guilty of sacrilege may face imprisonment ranging from 10 years to life. The guilty shall also be liable to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh which may extend up to Rs 10 lakh.

Those attempting to commit the offence may be sentenced to three to five years and shall also be liable to pay a fine which may extend up to Rs 3 lakh, as per the Bill.

Individuals found abetting the crime will be punished in accordance with the offence committed.

Under the Bill, offence means any sacrilege, damage, destruction, defacing, disfiguring, de-colouring, de-filling, decomposing, burning, breaking or tearing of any holy scripture or part thereof.

The offences punishable under this Act shall be cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable and will be tried by a session court.

The investigation of the offence under this Act shall be conducted by a police officer not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police, as per the Bill.

Once passed, this legislation will be implemented in the entire state of Punjab. The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to and not in derogation of the provisions of any other law for the time being in force, it said.

It is not the first time that a bill has been brought in for stricter punishment to the perpetrators of sacrilegious acts.

In 2016, the then SAD-BJP government brought in the IPC (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2016 and CrPC (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2016, recommending life sentence for sacrilegious acts against the Guru Granth Sahib.

The Centre later returned the bill, saying all religions should be treated equally, given the secular nature of the Constitution.

In 2018, the Amarinder Singh government had passed two bills --the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018', and 'the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018', which stipulated a punishment of up to life imprisonment for injury, damage or sacrilege to Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Quran and the Bible.

However, the two Bills did not get with the President's assent and were returned.

Following the discussion on Tuesday in the House, the Bill is expected to be sent to a select committee for taking the opinion of stakeholders.

Mann had earlier said that the state government would seek the opinion of all stakeholders and religious bodies for the proposed legislation, indicating that it would not be enacted immediately.

The bill deals with an emotive issue in Punjab, as there has been a demand from various quarters for stringent punishment for acts of sacrilege against religious texts after the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in 2015 in Faridkot.

A spokesperson, after the Cabinet meeting held earlier in the day, said that 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.

Before the Bill was presented in the House on Monday, the Speaker adjourned the House for one hour to speak to the representatives of all parties to apprise them of the introduction of the bill.

After the proceedings of the House resumed, Mann introduced the bill.

The Speaker had even fixed two hours for the debate, allocating 1.35 hours to AAP, 16 minutes for Congress, three minutes for SAD, and two minutes each for BJP, BSP and an Independent for presenting their views.

LoP and Congress leader Bajwa said it is a serious issue and the entire Punjabi community, not only in Punjab but also across the world, takes this issue with utmost seriousness.

Bajwa said they just received a copy of the Bill. "I urge that the debate should take place tomorrow. You can introduce the bill today. Or you send it to a select committee and following the findings of the select committee, we hold a discussion on it," said Bajwa.

He said this legislation has to go to the President for her assent.

"The sense of the House is that today is the time to prepare to keep our viewpoints effectively," said Bajwa.

Mann agreed to Bajwa's suggestion of holding the debate on Tuesday. But before that, the CM took a dig at him, telling the Congress MLAs that they have not done any homework on this issue yet.

"My only objection is that till now, you have not done any homework in this regard. Sacrilege acts started in 2015.

"I am not criticising. I agree with your (Bajwa) suggestion. You please come prepared tomorrow. It is not my issue nor your issue. It is an issue that concerns society," said Mann.

He said it has been reported in the media earlier that this bill will be presented in the session.

Responding to Mann's jibe, Bajwa said, "We have done homework on every issue and we have replies on everything. We are completely aware of history.

"The conventions of the assembly are that if any bill is to be brought, give at least 48 hours. We are not computers. The bill has come now, we need time, each member wants time to hold the discussion tomorrow." Intervening in the matter, the Speaker suggested that if anyone wants to put forth their opinion on Monday, they can do so.

The House was adjourned for 15 minutes, and after it was reconvened, the Speaker deferred the discussion on the Bill for Tuesday.