Punjab Cabinet Approves Historic Bill: Life Imprisonment for Holy Scripture Desecrators
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): In a historic move to ensure severe punishment for those guilty of the heinous crime of sacrilege, the Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today approved the 'Punjab Prevention of Crimes against Holy Scriptures Bill-2025'. The decision in this regard was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister at his official residence this morning.
A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that in the past, incidents of desecration of the Holy Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and other sacred texts have deeply hurt the hearts of the people and also created a state of unrest in the society. Sections 298, 299 and 300 of the Indian Penal Code do not provide for stringent punishment to effectively prevent such incidents in handling such cases. Keeping in view the gravity of such crimes and understanding the importance of maintaining community harmony and religious sanctity, the Cabinet felt the need to bring in a State-based legislation to further tighten the punishment provision, including punishment up to life imprisonment for those found guilty of desecration of any sacred text.
In this context, the Cabinet has approved the 'Punjab Prevention of Crimes against Holy Scriptures Bill-2025'. This bill provides for stringent punishment including life imprisonment for those found guilty of desecrating the Holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Holy Bible, Quran Sharif and other holy scriptures. The implementation of this law will further strengthen the efforts to strengthen the bond of community harmony, peace, unity and brotherhood in the state. This step will give more strength to prevent anti-social and anti-national activities by ensuring stringent punishment for the culprits of heinous crimes.
It is notable that until now there existed no specific law that directly addressed crimes against sacred texts, resulting in offenders often escaping serious action. This bill aims to fill this legal void by providing punishment for sacrilege cases involving all religions and communities. Under this proposed law, anyone found guilty of sacrilege can face a punishment ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. Those attempting this crime can also face a sentence of three to five years of imprisonment, while those instigating the crime will receive punishment according to the crime.
Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units, and Stockists and Retailer Rules-2025 gets green signal
The Cabinet also approved the 'Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units, and Stockists and Retailer Rules-2025' to ensure that crusher units, material sellers and retailers operate within the prescribed framework. These rules have been framed in line with the Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units, and Stockists and Retailer Rules-2025, which was enacted to prevent purchase of illegally mined sand and gravel by crusher units.
The new rules define detailed procedures, prescribed forms, timelines, authorities and compliance methods to facilitate effective, transparent and accountable implementation of the Act. These are aimed at eliminating ambiguity in procedures, preventing royalty evasion and illegal mineral trading, and encouraging environmentally sustainable and legally compliant business practices. In addition, these rules are expected to enhance transparency and prevent illegal mining activities across the state.
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