Amritsar:Punjab BJP spokesperson Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala has termed the sacrilege-related bill presented in the Punjab Assembly as a mere political stunt by Arvind Kejriwal to exploit religious sentiments. He said that if the Aam Aadmi Party and its government had genuine intent, then why have the accused in sacrilege cases since 2015 not been punished?
Mocking the AAP government, he remarked that the only sacrilege case in which someone has been punished during their rule is that of their own MLA Naresh Yadav, who was sentenced to two years in jail by the court.
Prof. Khiala pointed out that during election campaigns, Kejriwal had promised to resolve sacrilege cases within 24 hours. However, after forming the government, the issue was not taken seriously. He asserted that the real purpose of this bill is to target the central government and the BJP, given the 2027 elections. He reminded that similar bills were passed in 2016 and the President of India rejected 2018 due to constitutional objections, and now the same strategy is being repeated.
Prof. Khiala stated that this new bill bypasses national laws like the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which could lead to a constitutional conflict. The bill conflicts with various provisions of the Indian Constitution, including Articles 25 to 28 (freedom of religion), Article 19 (freedom of expression), and Article 14 (right to equality), as well as recently enacted laws like the BNS.
He expressed regret that no serious debate was held on this sensitive issue in the Assembly. The government, having no achievements to showcase, focused instead on blaming the opposition. He accused AAP’s state president and MLA Aman Arora of misleading the sacred House by lying in the Assembly. Arora claimed that on April 9, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the Punjab Government’s stand, whereas the actual case was heard on April 29, 2025, during which Punjab Government’s lawyers, in consensus with the lawyers of Dera Sirsa, agreed to give an undertaking that no action would be taken until the final hearing.
Prof. Khiala categorically stated that the bill is full of serious flaws — for instance, it includes only the Guru Granth Sahib, Gutka Sahib, religious scriptures (Pothis), the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran, and the Bible, while ignoring the holy texts of Buddhism, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism. Moreover, it fails to consider Punjab’s folk traditions and cultural religious symbols. The bill also lacks a clear definition of sacrilege involving religious sites or materials.
Speaking on Sikh religious history, Prof. Khiala emphasized that alongside the living light of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Sikhism also reveres the Dasam Granth and other scriptures with deep respect and significance.
He further disclosed that in the Bajakhana police station cases, the Punjab Police had applied to the Home Department for sanction under Section 196 in May 2022, which was finally granted on October 21, 2024. However, no progress or action has yet been taken against the 11 accused, including Ram Rahim. He also highlighted that two of the four Advocates General appointed by the AAP government had previously represented Dera Sirsa in legal cases.
In conclusion, Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala warned Arvind Kejriwal to stop playing with the religious sentiments of the Punjabi people and instead focus on delivering justice, truth, and constitutional respect. The Sikh and Punjabi community is now fully aware — they no longer want false political sympathy but true justice, which cannot be expected from the AAP government.