India
The PUnjabtook to Twitter to inform about the cabinet decision that it will bring an amendment to make sacrilege of all religious text punishable with life imprisonment.
Updated : Aug 22, 2018, 06:32 PM IST
Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday decided to bring an amendment to Indian Penal Code (IPC) to make sacrilege of all religious text punishable with life imprisonment.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh took to Twitter to inform about the cabinet decision, ‘The Cabinet today decided on amendments to IPC to make sacrilege of all religious texts punishable with life imprisonment. We will place the Bill in the Vidhan Sabha for approval. I stand firmly committed to preserve communal harmony in the State?”
On July 25, Punjab Chief Minister had said that the Justice (retired) Ranjit Singh Commission Report on the sacrilege cases in Punjab will be tabled in the next session of the Vidhan Sabha and legal action will be taken against all who would be found guilty by it.
Cabinet also gave its approval to several significant bills including the one that would allow for reservation of Schedule Caste (SC) employees in promotions.
‘Our Cabinet has given its nod to several important Bills for enactment in the ensuing Vidhan Sabha session, including SC employee’s reservation in promotions and constitution of Punjab State Higher Education Council,’ informed Punjab Chief Minister in a consequent tweet.
A lot of Twitter users were shocked by the call:
Terrible move, @INCIndia. Countries that have introduced blasphemy laws - for whatever reasons - have seen terrifying misuse and enabled the rise of religious fanatics. Please reconsider this - no thought has been given to the fallout. @RahulGandhi @priyankac19 https://t.co/F1qV3dcppa
— Nilanjana Roy (@nilanjanaroy) August 21, 2018
What if someone breaks his/her Kindle after purchasing all the holy e-books. https://t.co/PJW0z3zK8G
— Rofl Gandhi (@RoflGandhi_) August 21, 2018
On religious matters, free speech has no future in South Asia. Exhibit #5249. https://t.co/6sTTK913x0
— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) August 21, 2018
Disappointed with Captain Amarinder Singh ,please reconsider @capt_amarinder https://t.co/1ipozIGOzb
— indira jaising (@IJaising) August 21, 2018
Hello @RahulGandhi, is this Congress's idea of a liberal democracy? https://t.co/UkXVwBGoKn
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) August 21, 2018
I understand the temptation of fighting fire with fire when religion becomes a weapon in politics. But an Indian blasphemy law is a terrible misstep. We should see how Pakistan is paying for it https://t.co/ltbOaHSdVT
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) August 22, 2018
Bad idea. Religion is an idea. Ideas can be challenged and debated. If religions are strong they won’t get hurt by someone’s insult. Those who gratuitously insult others are idiots. Ignore them. This law will be used against serious critics and ‘silence’ debate. https://t.co/pGyG2kBYvW
— Salil Tripathi (@saliltripathi) August 21, 2018
Dear @RahulGandhi, do you subscribe to this madness? https://t.co/u37kNWjstQ
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) August 21, 2018
We have enough laws to tackle this @capt_amarinder ji.
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) August 21, 2018
This is not the idea of India.
Why should we emulate Pakistan in this respect? https://t.co/v70pQrPKea
'Sacrilege', like 'blasphemy', is an instrument of repression in theocratic states, a weapon to silence critics. Neither has place in a democracy. Both curb Free Speech and liberty. https://t.co/2FYTpYSNGF
— Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) August 21, 2018
this sounds so dangerous.
— Harini Calamur (@calamur) August 21, 2018
Holy Book : women who commit adultery should be stoned/burnt alive
Feminists : terrible patriarchy
Fundamentalists : Sacrilege https://t.co/H2mgi2MLvf
Don’t know what will be achieved from this apart from giving some people a stick to start beating their communal drums. I think governments need to crack down hard on those fanning communal tensions on all sides, but this proposal & its wider ramifications needs a relook! https://t.co/fMVTWDxjyU
— Jayant Chaudhary (@jayantrld) August 22, 2018
.@INCIndia scaring people with stricter laws will not ensure communal harmony political parties staying away from religion might... https://t.co/wQJxv7I789
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) August 22, 2018
You are empowering crazed religious fanatics over people of logic and reason - we need science and development not your “Blasphemy laws” in a different avatar. This will be misused by religious zealots against us all - DON’T DO IT. @capt_amarinder @RahulGandhi https://t.co/SchOw2gBbN
— khauboysandIndians (@rockyandmayur) August 22, 2018
This is all that is needed! Pl resist this ill-advised move. In Pakistan anti-blasphemy laws are used to crush dissent, minorities like Ahmedias and political opposition. At a time when 295 IPC (hurt feelings) playing havoc, appealing to @RahulGandhi to stop this draconian step. https://t.co/ghQrim344L
— N.S. Madhavan (@NSMlive) August 22, 2018
How is this different from Pakistan's blasphemy law?
— Shabnam Hashmi (@ShabnamHashmi) August 22, 2018
You don't need RSS any longer to pave the way for fascist take over. It's absolutely a draconian step. Strongly condemn. @RahulGandhi @digvijaya_28 @ahmedpatel @SitaramYechury @pbhushan1 @devdesai74 please stop this https://t.co/0EpwBoZNyy
In June this year, the Supreme Court had allowed the Centre to provide reservation in promotion for employees of the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe community as per law, till the issue is cleared off by a constitution bench. In compliance with the order passed by the Supreme Court on May 17 and June 5 on special writ petition, Bihar Government on July 22 announced reservation for Schedule Caste/ Schedule Tribe personnel in its services.