New Delhi, (Global News) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday called on the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought the kind intervention of Government of India for getting Presidential assent for two important pending bills of state stipulating harsher punishment for the perpetrators of heinous crime of sacrilege.
The Chief Minister, who called on Amit Shah here at his office, said that sacrilege of holy books is a major challenge in the state. He said that in this context, it has been felt that the quantum of punishment for sacrilege of Holy Books as per existing provisions of Sections 295 and 295-A in the Indian Penal Code is too inadequate. Bhagwant Mann apprised the Union Home Minister that the Punjab Vidhan Sabha had passed "The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018, which stipulates punishment upto life imprisonment for injury, damage or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwat Gita, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people.