Punjab Council of Ministers on Saturday cleared the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, setting a mandatory 10-year to life imprisonment penalty for the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.The Bill will be tabled in the Special Assembly Session on Monday.The amendments also seek to impose a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh on those found guilty of sacrilegious acts. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the government had decided to amend an existing state law by inserting sections that provide for the strictest punishment of those desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib.“Since it’s a state law, it will not require any Presidential assent and will come into force immediately,” he said after the Cabinet meeting. Cheema said that while the masterminds behind the sacrilege incidents never get caught, as they often use mentally challenged people to commit such crimes, the amended law also seeks to punish the masterminds behind these acts.“There have been several incidents in the past involving the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and other revered holy scriptures, which have deeply hurt public sentiments and caused unrest in society,” he said, adding that maximum incidents were reported during the term of Akali BJP government of 2012-17, and these parties, which rule in the name of religion, did little to prevent such incidents or bring to book those involved in these heinous incidents.It may be mentioned that while Sections 298, 299, and 300 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) do address such matters, they do not prescribe sufficiently stringent punishments to serve as a strong deterrent against such acts.Cheema said after careful consideration and discussion, it was felt that appropriate legal measures are required to safeguard the sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib and to promote mutual respect, understanding, and communal harmony among followers.He also said the cabinet has given its nod for installing solar-powered street lights in 11,500 villages of the state, where the state government would bear 70 percent of the cost (Rs 380 crore) and 30 percent (Rs 170 crore) will be borne by concerned gram panchayats.