CHANDIGARH: In a landmark move to ensure stringent punishment for those committing the heinous crime of sacrilege, the Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Monday approved the historic Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025.
A spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office disclosed that there have been numerous incidents in the past involving the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and other revered granths, deeply wounding public sentiment 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. 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.