Sikh Groups Challenge Punjab's Anti-Sacrilege Law in Supreme Court
Sikh groups to approach Supreme Court against Punjab’s new anti-sacrilege law
The Indian Express
Image: The Indian Express
Two Sikh groups from Amritsar are set to file a contempt plea in the Supreme Court of India against the Punjab government over a newly enacted anti-sacrilege law. They argue that the law circumvents a previous Supreme Court ruling and fails to provide adequate protections for the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
- 01Sikh groups claim Punjab's anti-sacrilege law undermines Supreme Court authority.
- 02The groups accuse the Punjab government of failing to address past sacrilege cases.
- 03They argue the law shifts responsibilities to devotees without clear self-defense rights.
- 04Concerns raised over the government's handling of the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case.
- 05The groups label the Punjab government as a 'propaganda government' with unclear intentions.
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Two Sikh organizations based in Amritsar, India, have announced plans to file a contempt plea in the Supreme Court against the Punjab government's recently passed anti-sacrilege law. They describe the law as a 'contemptuous circumvention of Supreme Court judgment,' asserting that it fails to implement the 'juristic person' status of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism. Dr. Manjit Singh Randhawa, a leader of one of the groups, criticized the Punjab government for its inadequate response to previous sacrilege incidents, particularly the 2015 Bargari case. He accused the government of complicity with culprits and of delaying prosecution against key figures involved in sacrilege cases. The new law places the responsibility of safeguarding the scripture on devotees and gurdwara committees but lacks clarity on their rights to self-defense. The groups express concern that the government's focus has shifted from delivering justice to merely enacting stricter laws, which they believe will not resolve the ongoing issues related to sacrilege.
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The outcome of this legal challenge may affect how sacrilege cases are prosecuted in Punjab and influence the protection of religious sentiments among the Sikh community.
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