Strict law being framed to address sacrilege incidents :AAP

Punjab AAP says state drafting strong law against sacrilege, proposes life imprisonment for desecration of holy scriptures

Punjab AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu Sunday said that a law is being framed to address sacrilege incidents. Taking to media in Chandigarh, Pannu said, “This proposal has already come before the Punjab Assembly. A committee has been formed, meetings have been held with representatives of all parties, and inputs are being collected to frame a strong state law with the strictest possible punishment so that no one dares to commit such a crime,” he said.

The government had held a special Vidhan Sabha session on July 14 last year and tabled The Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025, proposes life imprisonment for sacrilege acts against religious scriptures. The Bill mandates strict punishment, extending up to life imprisonment, for the desecration of holy scriptures, including Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Bhagavad Gita, Bible and Quran. Later, the Speaker constituted a committee led by AAP MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar to consult all stakeholders. The committee was given six months time. Pannu also slammed Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, accusing him of acting as a spokesperson of SAD instead of standing with justice, truth and the Guru Sahib.

Responding to Dhami’s press conference held in Chandigarh a day earlier, Pannu said he claimed he wanted to put his version before the people through the media. “The invitation for Dhami’s press conference was issued by the SAD. Dhami Sahib often says allegations are made that he is a spokesperson of SAD. Yesterday, he himself admitted it by saying he is proud to be a soldier of the Akali Dal. It would have been better had he been a soldier of Guru Sahib,” Pannu said.

Taking strong objection to Dhami’s claim that SGPC does not accept FIRs and does not need the police, Pannu said this was completely misleading. “SGPC itself is constituted under an Act, which is a law. Whenever SGPC holds its general house in Amritsar, it takes permission from the Deputy Commissioner. How can you say you don’t believe in FIRs or police?” he asked. Drawing examples from his own two decades in journalism, Pannu said, “If we go back to 1996, Prakash Singh Badal repeatedly spoke about forming a Truth Commission. But when Akali governments ruled from 1997 to 2002 and again from 2007 to 2017, who promoted the very officers accused of atrocities on youth? Who made Sumedh Saini the DGP? Who promoted Mohammad Izhar Alam? Who brought his family into politics? Dhami Sahib seems to have forgotten all this.”

Pannu further asserted that when the name of SS Kohli surfaced, a news channel linked to the party Dhami serves muted the story to prevent the truth from coming out. “Perhaps Kohli is sitting on big secrets. Now the SIT will uncover those secrets,” he said.

He pointed out that the Ishar Singh report clearly stated that 75 per cent of the payment should be recovered from SS Kohli, yet nothing has happened in the last five years. “You say the matter lies with the Sikh Judicial Gurdwara Commission. What has that commission done in five years? The answer is clear, because people close to your party sit there. The head of the commission is the father of your party’s chief spokesperson,” Baltej Pannu said.

Pannu reminded that when the theft of Saroops took place on June 1, 2015, at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala, and when sacrilege incidents followed in November, SGPC failed to take effective action. “Posters were put up, but what concrete steps were taken? Which ‘SGPC police’ arrested the culprits or registered FIRs, when you claim you don’t need the police?” he questioned.

He also referred to the Kotkapura firing, where devotees demanding justice were met with water cannons and bullets. “FIRs were registered against Sukhbir Singh Badal and others. They had to seek bail from the High Court. This is the reality of claiming to be above the law,” Pannu said. Pannu added, “When you hold your next press conference, answer one question with honesty. You have a diary in which details of the beadbi cases and the 328 missing Saroops are recorded. Why have you hidden that diary? Is your presidency dependent on that diary?” He added that in the coming days, he will also make public details of all FIRs registered by SGPC so far.