Patiala: The ongoing protest in Samana entered its fourth day on Friday at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, with protesters intensifying pressure on the Punjab govt to enact stricter legislation against the desecration of religious scriptures. Protesters demanded a stringent national law prescribing exemplary punishment for sacrilege, irrespective of religion. The agitation gained momentum amid recent confrontations with police and preventive detentions of supporters earlier this week. In a show of solidarity, activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) made several toll plazas across Punjab toll-free from noon to 4 pm on Friday. Union general secretary Kaka Singh Kotda said the move aimed to protest alleged police high-handedness and delays in bringing a comprehensive anti-sacrilege law. He said that some protestors were detained in Moga by the police, but later released. He said that all the toll plazas remained toll-free for four hours.At the centre of the agitation was Gurjeet Singh Khalsa (43), who has been perched atop a nearly 400-foot BSNL tower in Samana since Oct 12, 2024, a protest stretching beyond 500 days. Khalsa repeatedly called for strict punishment for those found guilty of desecrating sacred texts, including Shri Guru Granth Sahib, and urged lawmakers to enact uniform protections for all major religions.The ground-level protest, formally named Dharam Yuddh Morcha, intensified following clashes with police on February 24, during which around 200 supporters were reportedly detained as a preventive measure. Most were later released. Several farmer and religious organisations, including Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), extended support to the agitation. Notably, the AAP-led Punjab govt had constituted a committee in mid-2025 to draft the proposed Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill. The draft reportedly proposed imprisonment ranging from 10 years to life, along with fines of up to Rs 10 lakh, for desecration of scriptures. The bill was referred to a select committee for wider stakeholder consultation with a six-month deadline to submit its report. However, more than seven months later, no public update was issued, a delay that protesters cited as evidence of unfulfilled assurances. MSID:: 128856155 413 |
