Punjab Assembly Passes Anti-Sacrilege Bill with Life Imprisonment Provision
The Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a strict anti-sacrilege Bill with provisions for life imprisonment and fines up to ₹25 lakh for acts of sacrilege against religious scriptures, including the Guru Granth Sahib. The Bill makes such offences non-bailable and mandates a swift probe. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated the law will end the culture of sacrilege impunity. The SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) called for effective implementation of the legislation.
Key Facts & Details
7 points- 1Punjab Assembly passes anti-sacrilege Bill — life imprisonment + ₹25 lakh fine
- 2Offences made non-bailable; swift investigation mandated
- 3Targets desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and other scriptures; SGPC calls for effective implementation
Deep Dive
- +Punjab has a history of sacrilege incidents — Bargari sacrilege case (2015) was a flashpoint
- +SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) is the apex body managing Sikh shrines
- +Punjab is AAP-governed under CM Bhagwant Mann since 2022
- +State Bills require Governor's assent before becoming law
Exam Focus
Likely MCQ: SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) manages which type of shrines? → Answer: Sikh shrines/Gurdwaras
Related Topics
Exam Relevance & Angle
Polity: State legislation, religious sentiments, and law & order in Punjab.
Target Exams
Background & Context
Punjab's Sacrilege Issue: The 2015 Bargari sacrilege case — involving torn pages of the Guru Granth Sahib found scattered — was a major flashpoint in Punjab politics. It led to police firing on protesters, killing two Sikhs.
SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee): Established in 1920, it is the apex elected body managing Sikh gurdwaras in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. It administers historically significant Gurdwaras including the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar.
Legislative process for state Bills:
- Bill passed by State Legislature
- Sent to Governor for assent
- Governor may give assent, withhold, or reserve for President's consideration
- If reserved, President may give/withhold assent
Under Article 200, the Governor may withhold assent and send the Bill back to the legislature with a message — but if passed again, the Governor must give assent (exception: not applicable to money bills).
Punjab AAP government: AAP won Punjab in 2022 with a massive majority (92/117 seats). CM Bhagwant Mann is the first AAP Chief Minister of Punjab.
Related GK Concepts
Must KnowTest Yourself
1 / 3SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) was established in which year?
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