Anti-sacrilege legislation: Speaker forms 15-member select committee

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Saturday formed a 15-member select committee of MLAs to hold discussions with stakeholders over the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025.

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The committee will be headed by former Local Government Minister and AAP legislator Inderbir Singh Nijjar.

Two MLAs from the Congress, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Balwinder Singh, have been nominated to the panel, which will have one member each from the BJP (Jangi Lal Mahajan) and the SAD (Manpreet Singh Ayali).

The remaining 10 members are from ruling AAP. They are Ajay Gupta, Amandeep Kaur, Inderjit Kaur Mann, Baljinder Kaur, Nina Mittal, Jagdeep Kamboj, Budh Ram, Brahm Shankar Jimpa, Madan Bagga and Mohammad Jamil-ur-Rehman.

The names were announced by Sandhwan. These MLAs will have to come back with the suggestions that they receive from the public, religious leaders and heads of religious institutions on the Bill within six months.

The Bill, commonly called as the anti-sacrilege Bill, was referred to the select committee on July 15.

The Bill proposes punishment ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment for offences related to the desecration of religious texts.

The holy scriptures referred to in this are the Guru Granth Sahib or extracts thereof, including Pothis and Gutka Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Quran and Bible.

Those found guilty will also be liable to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh, which may be extended to Rs 10 lakh.

The offences punishable under it are cognisable, non-compoundable and will be tried by a sessions court.

Only a police officer of the rank of the DSP and above will be allowed to investigate the case.

Under the provisions of the Bill, any person who abets to commit an offence (sacrilege, damage, destruction, defacing, decolouring, defining, decomposing, burning, breaking or treating of any holy scripture, or its part) in consequence of an instigation or as part of a conspiracy, will be punished with a prison sentence of three to five years and a fine up to Rs 3 lakh.

Will ensure exemplary punishment, says Mann

Sangrur: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday accused previous state governments of “shielding” those involved in the 2015 sacrilege incidents in the state.

He said the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, tabled by his government in the state Assembly would ensure exemplary punishment for such offenders once passed by the House.

Addressing a gathering at Sehna village in Barnala district, the CM reiterated his government’s commitment to curb desecration incidents.

Mann said stringent punishment was necessary to serve as a deterrent against such crimes.

He also claimed that the government’s anti-drug drive, ‘Yudh Nashiyan Virudh’, has proven its effectiveness, with several “politically powerful individuals, once considered untouchables, now lodged in jails”.

Meanwhile, Mann dedicated eight libraries to the public in Barnala district.

The libraries have been constructed at a cost of Rs 2.80 crore in Sehna, Dhaula, Talwandi, Majhuke, Kutba, Deewana, Wajidke Kalan and Thulliwal villages. — OC