Include Hindu temples in anti-sacrilege bill, says BJP leader

Senior BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab Government, accusing it of playing selective politics over religion in the proposed anti-sacrilege bill, set to be tabled during a special session of the Punjab Assembly on July 10 and 11.

Grewal, addressing mediapersons in Phagwara, asserted that the legislation—while rightly seeking to protect the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji—must not exclude other religions, particularly Hinduism. He demanded that ‘Pran Pratishthit’ (consecrated) Hindu temples and idols be explicitly included under the protective ambit of the bill.

“If this government has even an ounce of sincerity left,” Grewal stated, “it must recognise that Hindu temples and idols, which hold deep spiritual significance for believers, have also been targeted repeatedly and must be protected. Anything less is a betrayal to the millions of Hindus in the state.”

The BJP leader strongly criticised what he called the Mann government’s “vote-bank-driven secularism,” accusing it of ignoring multiple instances of vandalism and desecration involving Hindu places of worship.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “For years, our temples have been desecrated under this government’s watch. Is Hindu sentiment not worthy of legislative protection? Or is it simply not politically convenient for the Mann government?”

While welcoming the inclusion of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the proposed bill—calling it “a step the BJP deeply respects and supports”—Grewal questioned the glaring omission of Hindu religious icons and places.

He cautioned the Punjab Government against enacting legislation that caters selectively to one community, saying such an approach would further deepen religious divides rather than promote unity and respect.