To ensure strict punishment for those who commit sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib, the "Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Sataar Amendment Bill, 2026" was unanimously passed today during a special session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.
Following this amendment, provisions have been introduced mandating a minimum imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for individuals found guilty of desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib.
Additionally, the legislation stipulates a minimum fine of Rs 5 lakh and a maximum fine of Rs 25 lakh for the offender.
The original "Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Sataar Act", enacted in 2008, contained provisions primarily concerning the printing and maintenance of the Guru Granth Sahib. However, it lacked any specific provisions addressing acts of sacrilege.
Under the original Act, violating the rules established for the printing and maintenance of the Guru Granth Sahib carried a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000. Now, through this amendment, specific penal provisions have been incorporated to address sacrilege.
Earlier today in the Assembly, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tabled the bill, which subsequently became the subject of a debate during which legislators from various political parties presented their respective viewpoints.
The Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader, Partap Singh Bajwa, expressed concern that this bill might meet the same fate as previous bills passed by the Assembly, measures that included penal provisions for those desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib and other religious texts, but ultimately failed to receive the requisite assent from the President.
Notably, in 2016, during the tenure of the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP coalition government, a bill proposing amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to ensure punishment for those desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib was passed by the Legislative Assembly; however, that bill, too, failed to secure the President's assent. Meanwhile, even during the tenure of the Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh, a bill to amend the IPC, aimed at ensuring punishment for those desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Bible, and Quran, was passed by the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 2018; however, that bill, too, failed to receive the President's assent.
Participating in the debate, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated that the opposition is misleading the public by claiming that the current bill will not receive the President's approval. He argued that today's bill is merely an amendment to a bill passed in 2008; therefore, it is expected to receive the Governor's assent, noting further that several other states have already enacted their own laws regarding this matter.
Cheema asserted that the previous governments' attempts to amend the IPC, with the aim of punishing those who desecrated the Guru Granth Sahib and other religious scriptures, were undertaken with questionable intent, which is precisely why those measures failed to secure the President's approval.
During the debate, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remarked that in the past, whenever attempts were made to enact such legislation, loopholes were deliberately left in the drafts to ensure they would not receive approval; however, he affirmed that the current bill would definitely receive the necessary assent.
Conversely, during the debate, the opposition repeatedly referred to the "Punjab Bill Against Crimes Committed Against Holy Religious Texts, 2025." They pointed out that this bill is already pending before a Select Committee of the Assembly, a bill that includes provisions for punishing those who desecrate the religious scriptures of all faiths, and demanded that the government clarify the current status of that particular bill.
Meanwhile, Punjab Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar, who heads the committee dedicated to addressing issues concerning other religious faiths, stated that the committee has received 550 suggestions so far and is currently engaged in consultations with numerous religious experts. He added that the committee would submit a report to the Legislative Assembly detailing its findings regarding other religious faiths, following which the report would be presented to the government for the formulation of a legislative bill.
