Punjab’s New Anti‑Sacrilege Law Sparks Religious and Political Backlash
The Aam Aadmi Party government briefly passed a tougher anti‑sacrilege bill in April, which seeks to strengthen punishments for vandalising the Guru Granth Sahib, the central Sikh scripture. The law defines sacrilege to include deliberate damage, burning, theft or defacement of the text and also penalises insults communicated verbally or electronically.
For the first time in India, the legislation makes sacrilege a cognisable offence that is non‑bailable, allowing police to arrest suspects without a warrant and imposing imprisonment of seven to twenty years plus fines of up to one million rupees. It also introduces new rules for registration and custody of the Guru Granth Sahib, and gives the state powers to frame implementing rules.
Why the Law Was Passed
Ukraine denominations of sacrilege remained a highly sensitive subject in Punjab, the only Sikh majority state in India. In 2015 a series of alleged desecrations sparked widespread protests and police violence, turning the matter into a political flashpoint that led to the 2017 election defeat of the then‑SAD‑BJP government. The current AAP government, having won the 2022 poll on a promise to resolve unanswered sacrilege cases, reopened investigations and introduced the harsher bill as part of its legislative agenda.
This marks the third attempt in a decade to pass a tougher law. Earlier proposals in 2016 and 2018 failed to get national assent, partially because of constitutional concerns about a restriction that would benefit a single religion. In 2025 the AAP amended the 2008 Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act to tighten penalties before moving the new bill forward.
Controversy and Political Fallout
The Akal Takht has rejected the bill, not for the harsh penalties but for its administrative components that it argues should remain under Sikh religious institutions. The head of the Akal Takht summoned the Punjab Assembly speaker and other lawmakers to explain why the government did not consult them before passing the law. The Akal Takht’s summons followed reports that the bill’s text circulated only days before the debate, according to the parliamentary record.
Opposition parties – the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP – accuse the AAP government of rushing the legislation without due consultation. The positions conflict with the state’s upcoming elections, intensifying political pressure on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who denies allegations of offensive remarks recorded in a viral video and maintains the law will not be withdrawn.
The controversy also amplifies the relationship between religious authority and state governance, a long‑standing dynamic in Punjab where political leaders often heed the Akal Takht’s stances on matters affecting Sikh sentiment. The AAP government has signaled willingness to consider amendments suggested by the Akal Takht before finalising implementation for the disputed provisions.
