India, April 12 -- The Punjab cabinet on Saturday approved the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes enhanced penalties such as life imprisonment and fines up to Rs.25 lakh for the "beadbi" (sacrilege) of the Guru Granth Sahib. The move aims to curb nearly 600 reported cases of desecration over the past 10 years.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has convened a special assembly session on April 13 to amend the Act.

"Several incidents of beadbi in the past have deeply hurt public sentiments and caused unrest. While sections 298, 299, and 300 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, address such matters, they do not prescribe sufficiently stringent punishments to serve as a strong deterrent," ...