“Guru Granth Sahib is a Juristic Guru”- Rana Inder Partap Singh demands stricter punishment for anyone indulging in sacrilege

Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ July 15,2025

Independent MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi Rana Inder Partap Singh today demanded that in the proposed anti sacrilege law, the Punjab Prevention of Offences against Holy Scriptures bill 2025, Guru Granth Sahib cannot be mentioned as a holy scripture because of the fact and its acceptance as a “Juristic Guru”.

The legislator was taking part in the debate in the state legislative assembly after the bill laws tabled in the house for discussion yesterday.

According to Rana Inder Partap Singh the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib began in 2015 and the respective governments in Punjab failed to deliver justice. “It is my humble submission before all members of the august house that efforts are made to pass a strong law against sacrilege so that in future no one dares to commit heinous crime”, said the MLA.

“We should not leave any lacunae in passing of this law, and rectify if some shortcoming have cropped up knowingly or unknowingly”, said the legislator.

“I am not raising any apprehension on the intent on the members of this house. We should make it an effective law so that it become strong and it cannot be set aside when it reaches the court of law,” suggested the MLA.

Referring to a judgement of the Supreme Court in March 2000 in a case versus Som Nath and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) the MLA said that it has been evidently made clear by the Apex Court that Guru Granth Sahib ji is a living Guru.

“Reference of Guru Granth Sahib Ji is based on different concepts, beliefs and applications,” the SC has brought on record in its judgement of 2000.

In the bill he demanded stricter punishment for the offences of sacrilege, as according to him, anyone indulging in beadbi should get life imprisonment, as against a jail term of ten year as mentioned in the proposed bill.