Chandigarh: Political developments have intensified in Punjab after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Sunil Jakhar wrote to the Chief Minister demanding the public release of the draft amendments and select committee report related to a proposed law on the protection of sacred religious texts.
Jakhar said the issue is highly sensitive and requires transparency, public consultation, and involvement of all political parties and religious organizations before any final decision is made.
He referred to the existing “Jagat Jyoti Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008” and said that any proposed amendments must be shared with recognized political parties, legislators, and concerned religious institutions to ensure meaningful and constitutional debate.
The BJP leader also highlighted the “Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Sacred Texts Bill, 2025,” which was introduced in the Punjab Assembly on July 14, 2025. The bill was referred to a 15-member select committee headed by former minister and MLA Inderjit Singh Nijjar for detailed examination.
Jakhar demanded that the committee’s report be made public and shared with political parties, legislators, and religious bodies to ensure full transparency in the legislative process.
He stressed that any law related to religious sentiments must be handled with utmost sensitivity and openness. According to him, democratic processes require that lawmakers have complete information and access to draft proposals before making decisions in the Assembly.
Jakhar further stated that releasing the full draft before the proposed Assembly session would help ensure informed discussion and meaningful participation from all stakeholders.
He concluded that in a responsible democratic system, it is both a constitutional and moral duty to examine such sensitive legislation thoroughly before its introduction.
