Chandigarh: Former education minister and Congress MLA Pargat Singh on Wednesday questioned the Punjab govt’s intent to deliver justice in sacrilege cases, alleging that the announcement of a special session on April 13 to enact a new sacrilege law is an attempt to “mislead” the people of Punjab and “evade accountability” in the 2015 sacrilege incidents.Pargat Singh said the govt was moving to pass an amendment to the 2008 Act — The Punjab Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Printing Press and Publication) Act, 2008 — while projecting it as an entirely new legislation, a move, he claimed, would yield no substantive benefit.The Congress legislator termed the move “reckless and ill-conceived” and stressed that comprehensive consultation with religious scholars and experts across faiths was necessary before tabling any such legislation. He alleged that chief minister Bhagwant Mann had bypassed this process.Pargat Singh said instead of amending the 2008 Act, the govt should have focused on securing passage of the 2018 amended legislation, which he claimed already incorporated stringent penal provisions.The senior leader further said the 2018 Bill stood a better chance of receiving central govt assent. He said once criminal provisions were inserted into the 2008 Act through the proposed amendment, it would fall under the Concurrent List, requiring Presidential assent under Article 254, similar to the approval that was not granted to the 2018 legislation.Pargat Singh recalled that the 2016 sacrilege law had provisions for 10 years’ imprisonment and harsher penalties, but the Centre did not grant assent, citing its applicability to a single state and a single religion.He said the Congress govt later introduced a revised Bill in 2018, extending its scope to all religious scriptures and incorporating Section 295AA IPC, prescribing life imprisonment. However, the MLA claimed that the central govt assent was again not granted.Pargat Singh said the AAP govt had introduced The Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025, in July 2025, but it was later dropped. He added that the Punjab assembly had referred the Bill to a select committee due to deficiencies, and that the committee’s report had not been made public.He demanded that the speaker requisition the select committee report and place it in the public domain so that the shortcomings of the 2025 Bill could be addressed.The former minister also criticised the AAP govt over pending sacrilege cases. He alleged that the govt had not advanced action in cases related to the Bargari desecration, the Behbal Kalan firing, or the Kotkapura and Mor Mandi blasts, and that no perpetrator had been brought to justice.Pargat Singh said the govt had sufficient grounds to press serious charges in cases involving firing on protesters and bomb blasts, but it failed to do so.He also criticised AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, alleging that he was being projected to create an impression of progress in sacrilege cases. Under the guise of new legislation, the govt is repeating the same approach. Both BJP and AAP operate within the ideological ambit of the RSS, and the govt’s conduct on the issue reflected that position, the Congress leader alleged.MSID:: 130113344 413 |
