Chandigarh, April 9
Bharatiya Janata Party’s State President Sunil Jakhar has written a letter to the Chief Minister demanding that the draft of the proposed law to prevent sacrilege of holy religious scriptures and consecrated idols, along with the Select Committee report, be made public. He stated that this is an extremely sensitive matter, and it is essential that the general public, all political parties, and religious organizations are taken into confidence regarding the new law.
Jakhar wrote that since amendments are now being discussed in Act No. 21 of 2008 — the “Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008” — it is very important that the draft of these amendments be made available in advance to recognized political parties, members of the Legislative Assembly, and concerned religious institutions. This would ensure that broad public opinion is considered for a serious, logical, and constitutional discussion on this sensitive issue. He emphasized that the matter is not merely legal, but is also deeply connected with social sensitivity and religious faith.
The BJP State President further stated that on July 14, 2025, the “Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025” was introduced in the Punjab Legislative Assembly. This Bill was referred for detailed consideration to a 15-member Select Committee constituted under the leadership of former minister and MLA Inderjit Singh Nijjar by the Hon’ble Speaker. Therefore, it is necessary that the report of this committee be made public and copies be provided to political parties, MLAs, and religious organizations.
Jakhar added that now, when the Punjab Government is considering bringing a new Bill or amending the existing Act regarding sacrilege cases, it is extremely important—keeping in view the seriousness and sensitivity of the issue—that transparency in the law-making process is ensured. The opinions of the general public, religious institutions, and all political stakeholders must be included, and MLAs should be given the opportunity to fulfill their constitutional role based on complete information.
Jakhar stated that in a responsible democratic system, it is our constitutional and moral duty to thoroughly study any such sensitive Bill before deliberation. Therefore, the complete draft of the Bill or the proposed amendments to be introduced in the Legislative Assembly on April 13, 2026, must be made available in advance.
