The state government of Punjab in northern India has introduced a bill that would impose life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of desecrating a sacred religious scripture.
Critics, however, said that the move could inflame communal tensions, according to a report by AsiaNews.
Titled the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025, the legislation was presented in the state assembly this week by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
“This is the first bill of its kind introduced by an Indian state,” Mann said.
The proposed law would apply to all major religious texts, including the Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikh holy scripture — as well as the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, and the Quran. Punjab is home to a Sikh majority and has a history of religious sensitivities around sacrilege.
Under the bill, those convicted of desecration — defined as burning, tearing, defacing, damaging, destroying, discoloring, contaminating, decomposing, or breaking a sacred text or any part of it — face a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison.
Offenders may also be fined between 500,000 and 1 million rupees (US$6,000 to US$12,000).
Attempting to desecrate a scripture carries a penalty of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 rupees. The same punishment would apply to anyone found guilty of incitement.
A government spokesperson said the measure aims to “provide a comprehensive legal framework to penalize acts of desecration.”
The official acknowledged that Articles 298, 299, and 300 of the revised Indian Penal Code — updated in 2023 — already address religious offenses, but do not carry penalties “deemed sufficiently severe for sacrilege.”
Punjab’s Council of Ministers said the new bill addresses that gap by offering “clearer legal definitions and equitable application across all religious faiths.”
The legislation revives earlier attempts by Punjab to criminalize acts of sacrilege. In 2016, a BJP-backed government passed amendments to penalize desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib with life imprisonment. But the central government in Delhi blocked the measure, arguing it protected only one religion.
In 2018, a Congress-led administration introduced new amendments to extend protection to other religious scriptures, but the proposal again failed to secure presidential approval.
Following calls from opposition lawmakers, the state assembly has referred the bill to a multiparty committee that will consult stakeholders and submit its recommendations within six months.
