Punjab: Set deadline to punish sacrilege accused, says Warring

Warring asks, after having empowered itself with a more stringent law, subject to the governor’s assent, would the AAP government set a timeline for the delivery of justice?

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring welcomed the move to tighten the sacrilege law, while demanding a deadline for action against the guilty.

Amarinder Singh Raja Warring

“Who will not like the culprits of sacrilege to be severely punished? Periodical passages of law and amendments do not and will not serve any purpose if the intentions of the governments passing such laws are not sincere,” he said, pointing out that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had claimed before the 2022 assembly elections that if voted to power, it would punish the guilty.

“The situation is back to square one. Not that the government had any difficulty in punishing the guilty under the existing laws against sacrilege, only that it was not sincere”, he said.

Warring asked, after having empowered itself with a more stringent law, subject to the governor’s assent, would the AAP government set a timeline for the delivery of justice?

“Let it set a deadline. Only then people will believe that the government is sincere”, he said, adding, “Otherwise it will be yet another theatrical exercise.”

Stricter law needed to deter sacrilege: Sandhwan

Mohali

Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Monday said the stricter legal provisions under the anti- sacrilege law are necessary to deter such acts in the future.

“The government led by chief minister Bhagwant Mann is committed to ensuring justice while also focusing on prevention through stronger laws,” he said.

Responding to criticism from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Sandhwan said there had been sufficient opportunities in the past to address these issues.