Punjab Anti-Sacrilege Bill 2026 Passed by
Assembly
¨
Punjab Chief Minister
Bhagwant Mann has announced that the Anti-Sacrilege Bill 2026 has been passed
by the state Assembly and
has been sent to the Governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, for approval.
¨ The bill was passed
unanimously by the Punjab Assembly and aims to provide stricter punishment for
acts of sacrilege, especially those involving the Guru Granth Sahib.
Key Provisions of the Anti-Sacrilege Bill
2026
¨
The official name of the
law is the Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Including:
¨
Life imprisonment for
serious acts of sacrilege
¨
A fine of up to ₹25 lakh
¨
A stronger legal
framework compared to existing laws
¨
This bill amends the
Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008 and aims to provide greater
protection to religious sentiments.
Why the Bill Was Introduced
¨ The Punjab government emphasized that the existing provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita are not stringent enough to deal with sacrilege-related offenses.
¨ Additionally, rising concerns over such incidents have led to the demand for a stricter and more robust legal mechanism.