The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to make sacrilege of religious texts punishable with life imprisonment.

The government has taken a major step towards curbing such incidents and maintaining communal harmony in the state, an official spokesperson said. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by CM Amarinder Singh, he said. "The Cabinet has approved insertion of section 295AA to the IPC to provide that — whoever causes injury, damage or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people, shall be punished with imprisonment for life," the spokesperson said.