Chandigarh, April 11 The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday approved stringent amendments to the sacrilege law to make punishments more severe, including life imprisonment.
The Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, cleared the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes enhanced penalties, including life imprisonment, to deter incidents of 'beadbi' (sacrilege) and uphold the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib.
According to an official statement, the move comes in view of past incidents of sacrilege that have hurt public sentiments and disturbed communal harmony.
It noted that existing provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, do not provide sufficiently stringent punishment.
The amended sacrilege law will be introduced in the assembly on Monday.
"There have been several incidents in the past involving the 'beadbi' of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other holy scriptures, which have deeply hurt public sentiments by bruising their psyche and causing unrest in society.
"While Sections 298, 299, and 300 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, do address such matters, they do not prescribe sufficiently stringent punishments to serve as a strong deterrent against such acts," said a spokesperson of the chief minister's office.
After careful consideration and discussion, the Mann government has decided that appropriate legal measures are required to safeguard the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib and to promote mutual respect, understanding, and communal harmony in the society, the spokesperson said.
Speaking to the media after the cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the bill also proposes a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.
No one will dare to commit this crime, he asserted.
He further said the law also proposes punishment for those who mastermind the sacrilege through a mentally challenged person under a conspiracy.
A probe into sacrilege acts will be undertaken by a Deputy Superintendent of Police rank officer, Cheema said.
Responding to a question whether this law covers other religious texts as well, Cheema said it is only for sacrilege against the Sikh holy book-- Guru Granth Sahib.
In view of the seriousness of these offences and the need to preserve communal harmony and religious sanctity, the Cabinet has decided to amend the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008.
Thus, the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026 stipulates enhanced penalties, including life imprisonment, for those found guilty of committing 'beadbi' against Guru Granth Sahib ji.
The proposed legislation is expected to act as a strong deterrent against individuals with malicious intent and to contribute positively towards maintaining peace and communal goodwill in Punjab, said the spokesperson.
The AAP government has convened a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on April 13 to amend the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008, for stricter punishment against sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.