Punjab Outlook

Amritsar-Responding to the announcement by the Bhagwant Maan government of Punjab to call a special session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly to bring a law with strict punishment in cases of desecration of Shri Guru Granth Sahib and other religious books, BJP’s state spokesperson and Sikh thinker Prof. Sarchand Singh Khayla said, “If this session is a sincere attempt to bring in an effective legal framework to protect people’s religious sentiments and faith, then this step is welcome. But before that, people want to know from the government and tell the government that from 2015 to 2025, 300 people will be booked under Section 295, 295A or 153A of the IPC (which carries 2 to 3 years of imprisonment and fine). How many people have been punished by the government so far? If the answer is limited to 8-10 minor cases, then how can we believe that the proposed bill is motivated by some honest thinking? Is it not a political and emotional card being played through it? Is it?”
Prof. Sarchand Singh expressed surprise at Kejriwal Ad Company’s recent interest in Sikh religious affairs, saying that if Kejriwal is really concerned about Sikh issues, why has he not yet implemented the Anand Karja Act in Punjab, which is the original marriage system of Sikhism and which was passed by the central government in 2012 through the Anand Marriage (Amendment) Act, under which Sikh marriages were legally recognized. This law has been implemented by more than 12 states of the country so far.
Prof. Sarchand Singh said that “on sensitive issues like desecration of holy books, we should learn from history. Not only by passing the bill, but also honesty, moral clarity, strong political will and faith in religion are needed to stop the desecration, which has been severely lacking in the government so far.”
Prof. Speaking on the dishonesty of the ‘AAP’ government, Sarchand reminded that before the assembly elections, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann had promised to give justice to the people on blasphemy and that is why the famous police officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh was included as a brand ambassador in the party in the investigation of blasphemy cases. Today, the same MLA, who has recently been expelled from the party, is demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mann while exposing the Kejriwal ad company at the intersection and is forced to say that “the government has joined hands with the culprits, the people have been cheated, there is no hope from the government now, the decision will be in the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.” He said that in Bargari desecration, Bahibal Kalan and Kotakpura shooting cases, no major culprit has been given legal punishment so far. He said that ‘AAP’ MLA Naresh Yadav has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a local court in Malerkotla in 2016 in case of desecration of Holy Quran.
He said that Sikh and Punjabi society is fully aware. If this new law is being made to protect the religious faith of the Sikh sect and common people, then it is a good thing. What people of Punjab need today is justice, not false and political sympathy. But the Kejriwal company has so far played with the faith of the Sikh community.
Prof. Khayla said that the new law should be for all religions so that religious tolerance and faith can be protected in India. He pointed out that during the Akali-BJP government in 2016 and during the Captain Amarinder Singh government of Congress in 2018, bills were passed with strict punishments on disobedience. He also said that such laws raise questions about the freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Constitution and India’s secular framework, which was incorporated under the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1975 by Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s government during the Emergency. So now the time has come for a national debate on this issue.