‘Punjab government to present draft Bill on sacrilege in Assembly today’

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said his government will present in the state Assembly a draft bill for harsher punishment against the sacrilege acts on Friday.

Mann also said the government will seek opinion of all stakeholders and religious bodies for the proposed legislation.

“We are drafting it. A law is going to be enacted. But for this, we will talk to stakeholders, religious organisations. We will present the draft legislation (in the assembly).

“But for the final draft, we will require time. After presenting it in the Vidhan Sabha, we will seek public opinion,” he said while replying to a question on the bill.

Mann was addressing the media after chairing a Cabinet meeting. “We will speak to the religious bodies for how the law should be. We will take the (draft) bill to the public to seek their opinion for any amendments,” he said.

The two-day special session of the Punjab Assembly began on Thursday here.

Mann further said his government will bring a resolution to reject the previous Congress government’s decision of giving consent for the deployment of CISF personnel at dams managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board in the state.

He said the resolution will be brought in the state Assembly on Friday.

The CM asserted that the Punjab Police is capable of protecting the dams in the state.

To a question on opposition parties criticizing the state’s land pooling policy, he said the government will not acquire any land.