Chandigarh, April 19 (IANS) With Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria giving assent to the Bill enabling harsher punishment for ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege) of Guru Granth Sahib, state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Sunday urged the government to bring the draft law concerning sacrilege of all religions.

As a mark of respect to Guru Granth Sahib, the Assembly, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on April 13 unanimously passed the Bill.

In a social media message, Jakhar wrote: “I express my sincere gratitude to Hon’ble Punjab Governor Shri Gulab Chand Kataria for approving the Jagaat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Respect Amendment Bill, 2026.

“With this law in place, those committing acts of sacrilege will now face strict punishment. We also hope that the Punjab government will soon bring the draft law concerning sacrilege of all religions, currently with the select committee, to the Assembly so that a law can be enacted to prevent such acts across all faiths.”

The BJP leader said that with the passage of this law, the way has been cleared to impose strict punishment on those who commit sacrilege against Guru Granth Sahib.

At the same time, he urged the state government to also bring the draft law, referred to the select committee during last year’s Assembly session, for consideration and passage.

He further stated that a law should also be enacted to prevent sacrilege of consecrated idols and religious texts of all faiths, including Hinduism, as divisive forces have been involved in such condemnable acts in recent times.

He added that the government should present and pass this law in the Assembly at the earliest, as it is a demand being raised by people across all religions.

The new law provides for life imprisonment for ‘beadbi’, creating one of the toughest legal frameworks in the country to deal with such offences, besides ensuring swift investigation, making offences non-bailable, and prescribing stringent penalties ranging from five years to life imprisonment, along with fines of up to Rs 20 lakh, while holding even those aiding ‘beadbi’ equally accountable.

–IANS

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