Desk Correspondent , Chandigarh - On Monday in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the current Chief Minister Bhagwant Manni introduced a bill. The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposes life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹25 lakh for the sacrilege (beadbi) of the Guru Granth Sahib. The legislation defines the offence as any wilful and deliberate act through either physical damage, defacing, burning, tearing, theft, spoken or written words, signs, visible representations or electronic means intended to desecrate the holy scripture and hurt Sikh religious sentiments. It also says a minimum 10-year jail term, extendable to life, along with fines ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh for those involved in criminal conspiracies, while treating abettors at par with principal offenders.

The proposal comes in response to recurring incidents of sacrilege that have triggered widespread conflict, particularly the 2015 Bargari desecration and subsequent police firing at Behbal Kalan, where over 48 months have passed without convictions of the alleged masterminds. Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa supported the bill but questioned the delay in justice for the 2015 cases and sought clarity on consultations with constitutional experts to avoid the fate of the 2018 amendment attempt, which failed to secure Presidential assent. The special session saw attendance by Akal Takht former Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and leaders from Sant Samaj and various deras, underscoring the religious and political significance. The government emphasised its resolve to prevent such crimes and ensure deterrent action, with the bill now set for further legislative proceedings.

The bill aims to provide a stringent deterrent against organised acts disrupting communal harmony, directly addressing a decade-long demand from Panthic organisations and fulfilling an electoral promise of the Aam Aadmi Party government. The 2018 Congress-led ordinance had proposed similar punishments but covered multiple religions and lapsed due to procedural hurdles. By focusing solely on the Guru Granth Sahib, the 2026 bill narrows its scope for stronger legal sustainability. If passed and granted assent, it would mark a significant step in curbing threats to religious harmony in the border state, where five key 2015 cases were transferred outside Punjab, intensifying calls for swift, localised justice.