Chandigarh. Discussions have begun on concretization of the law made to address incidents of sacrilege. The Punjab government has called a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on April 13. During this session, the government intends to amend the ‘Jagat Jyot Guru Granth Sahib Satar Act, 2008’ to include provisions of punishment. To discuss this amendment bill, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has called a cabinet meeting on Saturday, April 11. This is a very sensitive bill, as the ‘Jagat Jyot Guru Granth Sahib Satar Act, 2008’ is a state-specific law.
Under this Act, the government has entrusted the authority of publishing, distributing and managing the Bir (physical copies) of Guru Granth Sahib to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), ensuring that their sanctity is maintained as per the Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh Code of Conduct). The government is now trying to amend this bill to explicitly include provisions for punishable action.
It is worth noting that on July 15, 2025, the Punjab government had introduced the ‘Punjab Prevention of Crimes Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025’. After debate on the matter, the bill was sent to a select committee. The select committee was ordered to submit its report within six months. That bill included all religious scriptures, with provisions for punishment ranging from 10 years imprisonment to life imprisonment.
According to reports, the government has decided to shelve the above bill and instead move to amend the ‘Jagat Jyot Guru Granth Sahib Satar Act, 2008’. The government’s reasoning is that by amending this particular act, the focus will be specifically on Sri Guru Granth Sahib – whereas the ‘Punjab Prevention of Crimes Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025’ collectively covers all religious scriptures.
It is worth mentioning that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already asserted that since it is a state-specific bill, there is no need to send it to the President for assent. Experts argue that the 2008 law is merely a regulatory law; however, if provisions are introduced to provide for a punishment of ten years or more for the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, the bill will have to be sent to the President for assent.
They further argue that while a regulatory act can indeed be converted into a penal act, doing so would bring it under the purview of the criminal justice system. As a result, it would cease to be a mere state act and would instead come under the Concurrent List. This does not mean that the state does not have the power to make such a law; however, if it conflicts with a central law, the central law will take precedence.
For the same reason, the Shiromani Akali Dal is seeking confirmation of the bill introduced in 2016 during its tenure, while the Congress party is pressing for the enactment of the bill introduced in 2018 during its tenure. It is worth noting that the 2016 bill had prescribed life imprisonment for the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and ten years imprisonment for the sacrilege of other religious scriptures.
In 2018, the government amended the law to include all religious faiths; However, despite the passage of eight years, the bill is yet to receive the President’s assent. The final draft of the bill is expected to be approved during the cabinet meeting called on April 11, after which it will be presented in the Legislative Assembly on April 13.
