Congress MLA Tript Bajwa resigns from select committee of Anti-Sacrilege Bill, speaker accepts

October 31, 2025

Congress MLA from Fatehgarh Churian Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa has resigned from the membership of the select committee formed to look into the ‘Punjab Prevention of Crimes against Holy Scriptures Bill-2025’ passed by the Vidhan Sabha.

Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has accepted the resignation. The Speaker had accepted the resignation on October 25 itself, but the notification was issued on October 29. It is noteworthy that on July 15, 2025, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha sent the bill to the select committee.

Following this, the Speaker constituted a committee headed by Amritsar MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar, comprising 15 members. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal were members of the committee from the Congress party.

Bill provides punishment for guilty 

This bill provides for severe punishment, including life imprisonment, for those found guilty of sacrilege of holy scriptures such as Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwad Gita, Holy Bible, Quran Sharif, and others. Under the proposed law, any person found guilty of sacrilege can be punished with imprisonment ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. A fine of Rs. 5 to 10 lakh can also be imposed. Those who attempt to commit this crime can be punished with imprisonment of 3 to 5 years, while those who instigate the crime will be punished according to the crime.

According to this bill, the hearing of sacrilege cases will be done only in the sessions court, which will eliminate the possibility of hearing in the lower courts. The select committee is meeting continuously with various parties and must submit its report within six months. Meanwhile, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa resigned from the select committee, which was accepted by the Speaker.