Punjab considering law with death penalty for sacrilege, to convene special Assembly session
'We will be convening a special session of Vidhan Sabha on July 10 and 11 to bring a historic legislation for stricter punishment against those found guilty of sacrilege. The Centre should have done it. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is bringing it in Punjab as it understands the emotions of the people of the state,' AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said on Saturday.
Sacrilege and the need for tougher legislation has been an emotive issue in the state. In October 2015, during the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government's term, an incident of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari had changed the political narrative in the state, delivering a blow to the Akali Dal from which it has been struggling to recover. Almost every government since then has attempted to bring in legislation providing for stricter punishment for sacrilege.
Sources said such a legislation will require a state-specific amendment to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier highlighted that while the BNS has clear provisions regarding religious places, it remains silent on Sikh holy granths. However, he said, since the subject falls under the concurrent list, the state has the authority to enact such a legislation, and that legal opinion would be sought accordingly. Mann had said that this process would be completed shortly and that a Cabinet meeting would be convened soon.
A source in the ruling AAP government told The Indian Express, 'We are bringing in a legislation. We are seeking a legal opinion on whether the death penalty is legally tenable. The Chief Minister, in his public addresses, has advocated death penalty for these crimes several times. The government is now taking a legal opinion on whether this can be done. Otherwise, we will go ahead with life sentence as punishment.'
AAP will be the third successive government to bring a legislation against sacrilege.
The move comes seven years after former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's Congress government passed two Bills providing for stricter punishment against crimes of sacrilege but could not get the President's assent.
During the Congress regime, the Punjab Assembly had in 2018 passed The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018, which stipulated punishment up to life imprisonment for injury, damage or sacrilege to Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwat Gita, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people.
The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, sought to amend the IPC by inserting Section 295AA. Under the existing Section 295 A, a convict is subjected to punishment for a maximum of three years imprisonment with or without fine. It also sought to enhance the punishment under Section 295 IPC (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) from two to ten years of imprisonment.
Sources said the Centre recently returned the sacrilege Bills passed by the Amarinder government in 2018, asking it to legislate afresh keeping in view the provisions of the BNS. The two Bills were about insertions in the provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Earlier, in March 2016, the then SAD-BJP government had brought in The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2016, and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2016, recommending life sentence for desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.
The Centre had returned the Bill saying all religions needed to be treated equally as per the secular nature of the Constitution. It asked the Punjab government to either withdraw the Bill or include all religions in the proposed amendment.
Later, in August 2018, the Amarinder government passed the two Bills by including the holy scriptures of all faiths.
In 2022, CM Mann had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking Presidential assent to the two Bills passed seven years ago.
The government's decision to bring a new legislation with provisions for death penalty stems from political and public demands for harsher punishments for sacrilege.
Among the protesters is Gurjeet Singh Khalsa who has been protesting atop a BSNL tower in Samana, Patiala, since October 2024. He has been demanding the death penalty for those found guilty of sacrilege.
It is learnt that the Chief Secretary KAP Sinha had briefed CM Mann about the protester, stating that if something happened to him, it could create a law and order situation since sacrilege was an emotive issue.
Last week, CM Mann had met representatives of the Sarb Dharam Beadbi Rokko Kanoon Morcha, one of the outfits seeking stricter punishment for sacrilege, and promised them that the state government would introduce legislation against such acts.
after the meeting, the Chief Minister had stated that the government would consult legal experts to ensure that a robust state legislation is enacted, and explore the possibility of capital punishment for such crimes.
While the CM has been calling for capital punishment for sacrilege, a few leaders in the party are of the view that death penalty would be too harsh and may be not be legally tenable.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Not an iota of evidence': former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar claims innocence in 2 cases linked to 1984 riots
Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar told a Delhi court on Monday that he was innocent and was being implicated falsely in two cases in which two men were allegedly killed and another person was set ablaze during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. 'I was not present at the spot… The investigating agency did not conduct a fair Investigation. The aim was to implicate by introducing fresh and unsubstantiated allegations,' his counsel told Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue court. 'Initially, I wasn't even named by any of the witnesses. Decades later, I was named. The case against me is false and politically motivated.' The First Information Reports (FIRs) in this connection were filed in February 2015 by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) based on complaints of violence in Janakpuri and Vikaspuri. In Janakpuri, Sohan Singh and his son-in-law Avtar Singh were killed on November 1, 1984, while in Vikaspuri, Gurcharan Singh was allegedly set ablaze and sustained severe burns, remaining bed ridden for three decades. In August 2023, a Delhi court dropped the charges of murder and criminal conspiracy in both cases but charged Kumar with the other offences in the chargesheet, including rioting with deadly weapons, promoting enmity between different groups, and attempting to commit culpable homicide. 'I couldn't even have dreamt of committing this act. There is not even an iota of evidence against me,' he said, adding that he had organised blood donation camps and peace marches to bring harmony during the riots. Arguing through advocates Anil Kumar Sharma, Anuj Sharma and Apoorav Kumar Sharma, Kumar stated before the court: 'My lie detector test was conducted. I voluntarily participated to prove my innocence.' Sajjan Kumar is currently lodged in Tihar jail after the Delhi High Court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2018 in a case related to the killing of five Sikhs at Raj Nagar Part I in Palam Colony on November 1-2, 1984, and the burning down of a gurdwara in Raj Nagar Part II. On August 30 last year, a Delhi court ordered framing of charges against Kumar in a case related to the killing of three Sikhs during the riots near Pul Bangash Gurdwara.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru auto driver snatches ₹10,000 cash from elderly passenger, flees: Report
A shopping trip turned distressing for a 75-year-old woman in Bengaluru when her autorickshaw driver allegedly robbed her after she refused to make an online transfer to his account, Times of India reported. The incident occurred on the evening of July 4 and is currently under investigation by the Commercial Street police. According to the report, the incident occurred on the evening of July 4 and is currently under investigation by the Commercial Street police. The woman, a resident of Frazer Town, had flagged down an auto near a market to return home. After negotiating the fare down from ₹150 to ₹100, she boarded the vehicle, expecting a routine ride. (Also Read: 'We are growing backwards': This viral 1980s Bengaluru photo leaves residents lamenting a lost city) Midway through the journey, the driver made an unexpected request: he asked her to transfer ₹20,000 online to his bank account, offering to hand over the equivalent amount in cash. Shocked and confused, the woman declined. What followed took a troubling turn. (Also Read: Dharmasthala rape-murders: Karnataka police examining steps to exhume bodies) Near RBI Circle in Halasur, between 7 and 7.30 pm, the driver pulled over abruptly and asked her to step out. As she reached for the ₹100 she owed him, carrying ₹10,000 in cash inside an envelope, the driver allegedly snatched the envelope from her hands and sped off before she could react, the report added. A case of robbery has been registered under Section 304 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which covers offences of snatching. Authorities have launched a search to trace and identify the driver based on CCTV footage and possible transaction records. In January, a 29-year-old professional in Bengaluru encountered a disturbing situation while walking home. An autorickshaw driving against the flow of traffic pulled up beside him. The driver, accompanied by another man, hurled a provocative remark in an apparent attempt to start a confrontation. Sensing trouble, the man tried to distance himself. But the two men got out of the auto and began chasing him on foot. The attackers then forced him to unlock his phone and give access to his payment apps, transferring ₹24,000 using a QR code. (Also Read: Bengaluru men lose over ₹2 crore in WhatsApp-based stock market scam: Report)
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Opposition conspiracies can't stop us from working for the poor: Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka
KHAMMAM: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday alleged that leaders of opposition parties are hatching conspiracies as they are unable to digest the fact that the Congress government is successfully implementing welfare schemes. Addressing a public meeting after distributing the Indiramma house pattas (land titles) to beneficiaries at Madhira, Vikramarka said: 'The opposition is worried because we are successfully implementing all the welfare schemes. No matter how many conspiracies are hatched, we will stand by the people and continue to work for their welfare.' 'These welfare schemes are aimed at eradicating poverty. Our objective is to provide a home and restore dignity to every person in the state. We spent Rs 22,000 crore on the Indiramma housing scheme in just one year, which is a record in the country. From a newborn child to the elderly, there is a welfare scheme for everyone,' he added. Stating that there are 1.1 crore families in Telangana, the deputy CM said: 'The Indiramma government is providing at least one welfare benefit to nearly 93 lakh families. In just one-and-a-half years, we have implemented some form of welfare programme for every stage of life, from birth to old age,' he said.
