Punjab’s sacrilege Bill to become law as Governor Gulab Chand Kataria gives assent

The Bill, tabled on April 13 and passed with support from both the treasury benches and the Opposition—including members of the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP, and BSP as well as an Independent MLA—proposes stringent punishments exclusively for acts of sacrilege involving the Guru Granth Sahib, which Sikhs revere as their eternal Guru. With the BJP supporting the Bill in the Vidhan Sabha, it was expected that Kataria would sign it.

Notably, this is the third such attempt by successive governments in Punjab to enact a stringent law on sacrilege. Earlier Bills brought in by previous Governments had passed the Assembly but remained stuck at the Centre, preventing them from becoming law. In contrast, the present Bill moved by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government has now cleared all stages within the state.

Under the amended provisions, any act of sacrilege will attract a minimum imprisonment of seven years, extendable up to 20 years, along with a fine ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. If the offence is committed as part of a conspiracy to disturb communal harmony, the punishment escalates to a minimum of 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, with fines between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. The offences have been classified as non-bailable and cognisable, triable by a sessions court, with investigations mandated to be conducted by officers not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police or assistant commissioner of police.

The legislation builds upon the 2008 Act but introduces sweeping structural changes. One key amendment replaces the terms “Bir” and “Birs” with “Saroop” and “Saroops” to align statutory language with commonly accepted Sikh religious terminology. It also reinforces that only the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) or entities authorised by it can print, publish, store or distribute Saroops.

Expanding the scope of regulation, the law introduces the concept of a “custodian”, encompassing individuals, institutions, and gurdwara committees responsible for the care and protection of a Saroop. It mandates strict adherence to Sikh Rehat Maryada and requires immediate reporting of any damage, disappearance or suspected sacrilege to authorities.

A new provision also directs the SGPC to maintain a centralised register of all Saroops, assigning each a unique identification number and recording details such as printing, storage, and custodianship. The register must be maintained in both physical and electronic formats and updated monthly, with public access through the SGPC website within 45 days of the law coming into force.

Broader definition of sacrilege

The Bill defines sacrilege broadly, covering not only physical acts such as burning, tearing or theft, but also spoken, written, symbolic or electronic actions that hurt religious sentiments. It further provides penalties for abetment and attempts to commit sacrilege, ensuring that all forms of involvement are punishable.

The passage and now assent to the Bill come against the backdrop of earlier legislative attempts in 2016 and 2018, both of which failed to secure Presidential approval. The 2016 proposal was returned over concerns of unequal punishment across religions, while the 2018 version, amended to include all religions, remains pending.

Unlike those efforts, the current law focuses exclusively on the Guru Granth Sahib, with the state government maintaining that its approach is rooted in Sikh theology, which regards the scripture as a living Guru. Mann had earlier asserted that the Bill, being a state legislation, would require only the governor’s assent, a position that has now culminated in its approval.

With the governor’s nod secured, the law will come into effect upon notification in the official gazette.