Punjab Government nod to amended sacrilege law with stricter punishments

The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday (April 11, 2026) approved stringent amendments to the law on sacrilege to make punishments more severe, including life imprisonment.

The Cabinet in a meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, cleared the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes enhanced penalties, including life imprisonment, to deter incidents of ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege) and uphold the sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib.