The Punjab Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a bill that proposes stricter punishment, including life imprisonment, for acts of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann introduced the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, during a special session of the Assembly.
The bill seeks to impose harsher penalties, ranging from a minimum of 10 years in prison to life imprisonment, in order to deter incidents of ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege) and protect the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib. It also provides for fines between ₹5 lakh and ₹25 lakh.
After the bill was passed, Mann thanked members of the House for their unanimous support, stating that the legislation would serve as a strong deterrent against such offences.
He also clarified that the bill does not need to be sent to the President for approval and will require only the Governor’s assent to become a law.
Speaking during the debate, AAP MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar noted that there has long been a demand for stricter punishment in cases involving sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa supported the bill, but called on the government to table the Select Committee report on the Punjab Prevention of Offences against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025.
Bajwa also questioned whether the government had consulted constitutional experts before introducing the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
He further raised concerns about the delivery of justice in the 2015 sacrilege incidents and the police firing on anti-sacrilege protesters in Faridkot.
Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal were also present in the House during the proceedings.
According to the statement of objects and reasons, there have been recent attempts to disturb peace and communal harmony in the state through acts of sacrilege involving the Guru Granth Sahib.
“The government is committed to preventing such incidents and ensuring strict action against those responsible. The proposed Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026 aims to achieve this by providing for life imprisonment in such cases,” the statement said.
Earlier, the government had pointed out that the existing provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) do not prescribe sufficiently stringent punishment for sacrilege-related offences.
While Sections 298, 299, and 300 of the BNS address such matters, they are not considered strong enough to act as an effective deterrent, the government had stated.
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