Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025 Explained in Simple Terms

The Punjab Assembly has proposed a new bill called the Punjab Prevention of Offences against Holy Scripture(s) Bill, 2025 meant to deal with a desecration of religious texts. The bill was introduced as a way of ensuring social peace in the state.

The suggested legislation gives severe penalties to those caught committing sacrilege. To commit the main crime of desecrating a holy scripture, the bill suggests a prison sentence of a minimum of ten years that may be carried out to life imprisonment. Besides being jailed, the penalty also includes a fine of a considerable amount. It is also the case in the legislation that the attempt to commit sacrilege and the encouragement of such an offense are also punishable crimes with a penalty that is equal to that of the offense.

The definition of sacrilege in the bill includes any form of damage, disrespect or desecration of holy texts, namely the name of the Guru Granth Sahib the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Quran and the Holy Bible. The crimes committed in this proposed law would fall under cognisable category where police can arrest without warrant and in non-bailable category.

It is the recent addition to a list of legislation by the government of Punjab to help solve this problem. In 2016, a bill was enacted to make changes in the Indian penal code (IPC) to provide life imprisonment in sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib. The central government returned that bill and proposed the law to be applied to all religions. This was later to be amended with a more inclusive bill being passed in 2018, although it was not assented by the president.

After the introduction, the 2025 bill has gone through a select committee of the Assembly. This committee will make any additional deliberations and consultations and then submit its findings and recommendations to the house to pass a final vote.