Chandigarh, July 6 -- Even as two anti-sacrilege bills passed by the Punjab assembly in 2018 await Presidential assent, the state government is set to introduce a fresh and more stringent bill to deal with acts of sacrilege. The Punjab government has decided to call a two-day assembly session on July 10 and 11 to bring this new legislation, apart from tearing the Opposition on drug issues. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on last Saturday, during a meeting with representatives of the Sarb Dharam Beadbi Rokko Kanoon Morcha at his official residence, had announced to bring the new legislation. Mann said the proposed legislation will provide harsher punishments, including life imprisonment and the possibility of capital punishment, for sacrilege of holy scriptures. He stated that the existing legal framework had loopholes that allowed perpetrators of such offences to escape with minimal consequences.. The state government is expected to convene a Cabinet meeting soon to finalise the draft bill before introducing it in the assembly. AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang pointed out that the old bills had been rendered irrelevant after Indian Penal Code was replaced by the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He noted that while BNS provided provisions for religious places, it remained silent on desecration of religious scriptures. He emphasised that the issue fell under the Concurrent List, allowing the state to enact its own law. "We are hopeful that under the new BNS provisions the new legislation will pass through and get nod from the governor," said an official dealing with the legislation. Notably, the BNS provisions for offences related to religion carry significantly lighter penalties than the life term - or even capital punishment - proposed under Punjab's upcoming legislation. Section 298 of BNS entails imprisonment up to two years for injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class. Section 299 of BNS provides for a jail term up to three years for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. Despite several attempts, parliamentary affairs minister Dr Ravjot Singh could not be contacted for comments....