A 15-member select committee of the Punjab assembly, constituted to hold wider consultations on the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures(s) Bill, 2025, will invite suggestions from the public, intellectuals and religious organisations. The committee will also study anti-sacrilege legislations in other states and countries.
After the first meeting held here, select committee chairman Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar announced that people will be able to share their views on the bill via email and WhatsApp. The details regarding the process for collecting public suggestions will be decided at the next meeting on Tuesday. The committee will also seek suggestions from intellectuals, religious leaders and heads of various bodies, Nijjar told reporters on Thursday in the presence of committee members.
Thirteen out of the 15 members attended the meeting in which Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was also present.
The Punjab assembly, on July 15, decided to refer the bill proposing strict punishment, extending up to life imprisonment for sacrilege acts against religious scriptures, to a select committee of the House to seek public opinion. Sandhwan later constituted the select committee under the chairmanship of Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, AAP MLA from Amritsar South, to hold wider consultations on the proposed legislation.
Nijjar, who is also the chairman of Chief Khalsa Diwan, said the committee, in its meeting, held a discussion regarding the scope of its work and the proposed legislation. “We will not be able to share any details about the day-to-day proceedings of the committee. It is a sensitive issue. The committee proceedings are confidential,” he said. He later also stated that the committee will examine similar anti-sacrilege laws in other states and countries, quantum of punishment and its impact. A number of countries have anti-sacrilege and blasphemy laws. Responding to a query, Nijjar stated that they will try to meet once a week, but may increase the frequency of meetings if required. “We may form a sub-committee,” he said. The members of the committee are AAP legislators Ajay Gupta, Amandeep Kaur Arora, Inderjit Kaur Mann, Jagdeep Kamboj, Neena Mittal, Baljinder Kaur, Budh Ram, Bram Shanker Jimpa, Madan Lal Bagga, Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman, Congress MLAs Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, BJP MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan, and Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali.
{{/usCountry}}Nijjar, who is also the chairman of Chief Khalsa Diwan, said the committee, in its meeting, held a discussion regarding the scope of its work and the proposed legislation. “We will not be able to share any details about the day-to-day proceedings of the committee. It is a sensitive issue. The committee proceedings are confidential,” he said. He later also stated that the committee will examine similar anti-sacrilege laws in other states and countries, quantum of punishment and its impact. A number of countries have anti-sacrilege and blasphemy laws. Responding to a query, Nijjar stated that they will try to meet once a week, but may increase the frequency of meetings if required. “We may form a sub-committee,” he said. The members of the committee are AAP legislators Ajay Gupta, Amandeep Kaur Arora, Inderjit Kaur Mann, Jagdeep Kamboj, Neena Mittal, Baljinder Kaur, Budh Ram, Bram Shanker Jimpa, Madan Lal Bagga, Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman, Congress MLAs Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, BJP MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan, and Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali.
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