A bill against the desecration of religious books in Punjab
Introduced by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, it provides for up to life imprisonment for anyone who intentionally destroys a sacred text of any religion. Punjab, the only Indian state with a Sikh majority, had previously passed a similar law, but it was rejected by the Union government because it was limited to the Guru Granth Sahib, the book revered by the majority faith. The new bill, which will be examined by a select committee before it is voted on, also penalises abetment to commit sacrilege.
Amritsar (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Indian state of Punjab introduced the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025, to the State Assembly. The bill provides for life imprisonment for anyone guilty of acts of desecration against the sacred book of any religion.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, a member of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is headed by Arvind Kejriwal, described it as the first bill of its kind introduced by an Indian state.
The law would cover the scriptures of all religions, including the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs, the majority religion in Punjab), the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, and the Qur‘an.
The draft proposal carries a penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment, plus a fine of 500,000 to a million rupees (US$ 5,800 to US$ 11.600), for anyone convicted of desecrating a religious scripture.
Anyone who attempts to commit this offence faces a prison term of three to five years and a fine of up to 300,000 rupees (about US$ 3,500), while the penalty for abetment is the same provided for the offence.
Desecration is defined as burning, tearing, defacing, damaging, destroying, discolouring, contaminating, decomposing, or breaking a sacred scripture or any part thereof.
This is not the first time Punjab has attempted to introduce such a law.
In 2016, the state government, then backed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), approved two amendments to the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to provide for life imprisonment for desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.
However, the Union government in New Delhi rejected these provisions, arguing that they only applied to one religion.
In 2018, the government led by Amarinder Singh of the Indian National Congress Party approved two new amendments to extend protection to the scriptures of other religions. These, however, also failed to receive presidential assent and were rejected.
A government spokesperson stated that the bill aims to provide a comprehensive legal framework to penalise acts of desecration.
He added that Articles 298, 299, and 300 of the new Indian Penal Code introduced in 2023, already address religious offences, but do not provide sufficiently severe penalties for sacrilege.
The Punjab cabinet believes the new bill fills this gap, providing clearer legal definitions and equitable application across all religious faiths.
At the opposition's request, the Punjab Assembly today referred the bill to a select committee that will be set up with representatives of all political parties, which will hear all stakeholders and submit its considerations within six months.
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