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The perils of sacrilege and blasphemy laws

There is no place in liberal democracies for blasphemy laws, which only lead to vigilantism.

Faizan Mustafa

Updated At : 06:58 AM Jul 22, 2025 IST

Draconian: The proposed anti-sacrilege Bill in Punjab prescribes punishment of 10 years to life term. File photo

The ruling AAP in Punjab is proving to be as regressive as its predecessors. A government must focus on governance rather than projecting itself as a protector of religious interests. The Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025, now referred to a select committee, prescribes punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment for sacrilege. In 2016, the SAD-BJP government came up with a Bill that confined itself to sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. Later, the Congress extended it to other holy books such as the Quran and the Bible.

The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.

The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia

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The perils of sacrilege and blasphemy laws

There is no place in liberal democracies for blasphemy laws, which only lead to vigilantism.

Faizan Mustafa

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