Three years after pledging justice in cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib’s ‘swaroops’ in Punjab, state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said his government will draft a legislation “shortly” that ensures strict punishment, including capital sentence, is meted out to the culprits.
The CM’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) party has come under fire for failing to address its poll promise of providing justice in cases of discretion of the holy Granth that took place in Punjab in 2015.
In a meeting with officers and representatives of the Sarb Dharam Beadbi Rokko Kanoon Morcha at his official residence in Chandigarh, Mann extolled Punjab and the great Gurus, saints and seers who have roamed the sacred land.
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Taking pride in Punjab’s “unique blend of socialism and secularism”, the CM said his government is “firmly committed” in ensuring that “exemplary punishment is given to the perpetrators of sacrilege incidents”.
To underscore his seriousness in his resolve, Mann said that the Indian Constitution’s criminal law code, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) (previously Indian Penal Code) provides clear provisions for laws enacted with regards religious places, but not holy scriptures.
But, because it falls under the Concurrent List, states have the authority to frame laws in such matters, he pointed out.
Promising consultation with leading legal experts as well as “all stakeholders”, including religious organisations, Mann said the legislation would be drafted to ensure that “existing legal loopholes that allow individuals guilty of such unpardonable acts to walk free” are avoided.
The CM says they are not ruling out the possibility of awarding capital punishment to culprits of sacrilege in Punjab.
“Every person involved in these sacrilegious acts, either directly or indirectly, will face exemplary punishment,” Mann said, adding that a Cabinet meeting would be convened on the issue “very soon”.
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