Bhagwant Mann meets Amit Shah, calls for harsher punishment to perpetrators of sacrilege

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday called on the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought the kind intervention of Government of India for getting Presidential assent for two important pending bills of state stipulating harsher punishment for the perpetrators of heinous crime of sacrilege.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday called on Union home minister Amit Shah and sought the Centre’s intervention in getting Presidential assent to two important pending bills, which were passed by the state stipulating harsher punishment for perpetrators of heinous crimes of sacrilege.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a meeting, in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI photo)

Mann met Shah at latter’s office in New Delhi and said that sacrilege of holy books was a major challenge in the state. He said in this context, it has been felt that the quantum of punishment as per existing provisions of sections 295 and 295-A in the Indian Penal Code was “inadequate”.

He told the home minister that the Punjab assembly had passed ‘The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018’ and ‘The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018’, which stipulate a punishment of up to life imprisonment for injury, damage or sacrilege to the Guru Granth Sahib, the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran and the Bible, committed with the intention to hurt people’s religious feelings.

The Punjab chief minister said this amendment was in consonance with the principles of secularism enshrined in the Constitution. “However, these Bills are pending for the President’s assent since October 2018,” Mann was quoted as saying in a statement.

Asserting that it was extremely necessary to maintain communal harmony in Punjab, a border state, Mann sought the central government’s intervention for getting early Presidential assent to the bills. He said rigorous punishment was required to deter criminals trying to disturb communal peace and brotherhood in Punjab.

Flagging another important issue, Mann said as per international norms, construction can be done beyond 150 metres of Zero Line. “But at some places in Punjab, the border security fence is at a huge distance from the Zero Line,” he said.

Citing an example, he said the section from border pillar 2/M to 10/12 in AOR 121 Bn BSF Madhopur in Gurdaspur sector was about 4km away from the International Border.

Mann said since a huge chunk of farming land lies between the International Border and the existing fence, many farmers, who have to cross the border fence for cultivation, face hardships on a daily basis. It also enhances the workload of the BSF while the government has to pay substantial compensation to these farmers, he said.

Also meets Union coal minister

Mann also met Union power minister RK Singh and urged him to review the Centre’s decision and allow 100% supply of coal to the state through direct rail mode instead of existing Rail-Ship-Rail (RSR) mode.

He said that the power ministry has asked Punjab to start lifting 15%-20% domestic coal through RSR mode from January 2023 from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), Talcher. Mann said Talwandi Sabo Power Limited has coal linkage of 67.20 lakh MT with MCL. He said as per the advisory, about 12-13 lakh MT coal is to be routed through RSR mode. However, the chief minister lamented that transportation of this coal by RSR mode will cause an additional burden of about ₹200 crore every year.