CHANDIGARH, July 24 — The Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s Select Committee on the anti-sacrilege Bill convened its first meeting today, just days after being tasked with reviewing the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025. The meeting, chaired by AAP MLA and Chief Khalsa Diwan president Inderbir Singh Nijjar, was attended by 13 of the 15 committee members, along with Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan.
The committee has been mandated to engage with the public, religious leaders, and heads of religious institutions over the next six months to gather inputs on the Bill’s provisions. “We will hold a meeting every week. The next is scheduled for Tuesday, when we will finalise how to seek suggestions from the public,” said Nijjar following the meeting held at the Vidhan Sabha secretariat.
The Select Committee comprises 10 AAP MLAs, including 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. Congress is represented by Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Balwinder Singh, while Jangi Lal Mahajan represents the BJP and Manpreet Singh Ayali the SAD.
The anti-sacrilege Bill was passed unanimously by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on July 15 and was subsequently referred to the Select Committee for a wider consultative process. The legislation proposes stringent penalties for desecration of religious scriptures, including a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, along with fines ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
The Bill applies to acts of sacrilege or desecration involving Guru Granth Sahib or extracts such as Pothis and Gutka Sahib, as well as the Bhagavad Gita, Quran, and Bible. It also extends punishment to acts of abetment, conspiracy or instigation, with offenders liable for three to five years of imprisonment and fines up to ₹3 lakh.
Under the proposed law, offences will be cognisable and non-compoundable, triable by a Sessions Court. Only police officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or above will be empowered to investigate such cases.
Once enacted, the law will apply across Punjab and come into force from the date it is published in the Official Gazette. It will also override other laws to the extent of any conflict, ensuring primacy of its provisions in matters of sacrilege.
