Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly defended the Punjab government’s newly introduced anti-sacrilege law during a press conference and said the people of Punjab are supporting the move and while speaking to the media Mann said the new law was brought to stop repeated sacrilege incidents in the state and claimed that stricter punishment would help reduce such crimes in the future and added that people who commit such acts will now think twice before doing anything wrong because the law has become stricter.
Mann said that senior legal experts along with some experienced lawyers were consulted before the law was prepared and also added that the Bill was passed unanimously by the Punjab Cabinet and later approved by entire Punjab Vidhan Sabha and talking about the same Mann also targeted the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over its objections to the law and questioned why some SGPC leaders were opposing this legislation when they had earlier themselves demanded a strict law against sacrilege.
He said SGPC elections had not been held for nearly 14 years and questioned how the body could continue to call itself fully constitutional without elections and further claimed that Sikh sangat across the world was supporting the law but just a few selected people are opposing it and according to Mann some of these leaders were uncomfortable because names linked to sacrilege cases had surfaced earlier and also alleged that such leaders themselves had been accused in such matters which is why they were now opposing the law.
The Chief Minister said religious leaders and members of the Sant Samaj were present in the Assembly when the Bill was passed and added that many people felt relieved after the law was approved and said he did not understand why some individuals were upset over the decision and also explained that under the new law people accused in sacrilege cases would no longer be able to escape punishment by claiming mental instability and said legal action could also be taken against family members if they knowingly help the accused avoid punishment through false claims.
Apart from the sacrilege law Mann also reacted strongly to allegations regarding Western Towers Society in Chajju Majra near Kharar where Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams conducted raids earlier in the day and during the operation reports claimed that a bag full of currency notes was allegedly thrown from the ninth floor of the building.
Rejecting all allegations Mann said he had no connection with the ED raids and said the matter appeared to be related to some old company and had nothing to do with him or his government and talking about the same he stated that investigation agencies are free to conduct raids and searches wherever required and clarified that the Punjab government has no relation with the ED action.
