Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday defended his government’s newly enacted anti-sacrilege law during a stop in  Dhanaula town during his  statewide thanksgiving march (Shukrana Yatra).

During his address,  Mann said previous governments had failed to deal firmly with incidents that hurt religious sentiments because of the absence of stringent legislation. He said the Aam Aadmi Party government had now introduced a law that would ensure strict punishment for anyone found guilty of desecrating Sikh scriptures.

Mann said “anti-social elements” had for years carried out acts of sacrilege in Punjab and escaped punishment due to legal loopholes. He added that the new law was aimed at protecting the religious sanctity and communal harmony of the state.

The CM  also referred to a recent legal development involving the legislation. According to Mann, a petition challenging the law was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by an individual allegedly influenced by leaders of the Congress party and the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Mann claimed the court dismissed the petition and imposed a fine of 10,000 rupees on the petitioner. He said the law could no longer be overturned after receiving the assent of the Punjab governor.

Criticizing opposition parties, Mann alleged they did not want a strict anti-sacrilege law to be enacted in Punjab. He said his government would continue to follow a “zero-tolerance” policy against forces attempting to disturb religious peace in the state.