CHANDIGARH, July 19 — The Punjab Vidhan Sabha has constituted a 15-member special committee to review and refine the Punjab Prevention of Offences against Sacred Religious Texts Bill, 2025, which proposes strict penalties for acts of desecration against scriptures of all four major religions.
The Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, announced that the bill will be brought back to the House for re-introduction within six months after thorough deliberation.
Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar will chair the committee. Other members include Dr. Ajay Gupta, Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora, Inderjit Kaur Mann, Jagdish Kamboj, Jangi Lal Mahajan, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Neena Mittal, Prof. Baljinder Kaur, Principal Budh Ram, Brahm Shankar Jimpa, Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Madan Lal Bagga, Manpreet Singh Ayali and Mohammad Jamil Ur Rehman.
The bill was initially introduced during a special session by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government, but it did not pass despite the party’s legislative majority. Speaker Sandhwan used his constitutional authority to hold back its passage and referred it to the newly formed select committee for further consideration.
The panel will seek inputs from various religious organizations and community representatives before finalising the draft. “This committee has been given six months to consult all stakeholders and present a comprehensive and inclusive version of the bill,” said the Speaker.
The proposed law includes stringent provisions, with punishments ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment for desecration or deliberate insult of any sacred religious scripture.
The move to rework the bill underscores the government’s attempt to ensure consensus and avoid political or social friction, while upholding respect for religious sentiments in the state.
