Is blasphemy illegal in India?
Criminal offense
Blasphemy is a criminal offense in India under Section 295A of the Penal Code.
India is one of 30 countries classified “Criminal offense” for blasphemy — 56% of the 54 with data.
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Blasphemy law
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Nepal
- Criminal offense Nepal's 2017 criminal code criminalizes hurting religious sentiment with up to two years imprisonment.
- Bangladesh
- Criminal offense Blasphemy is forbidden by penal code provisions prohibiting the hurting of religious sentiments.
- Myanmar
- Criminal offense Blasphemy is a criminal offense in Myanmar under Section 295A of the Penal Code.
- Pakistan
- Death penalty possible Blasphemy is a criminal offense in Pakistan that can carry the death penalty.
- Afghanistan
- Death penalty possible Blasphemy is prohibited under Sharia and can be punished by execution, with arrests occurring since 2021.
- Thailand
- Criminal offense Thailand's penal code and Sangha Act criminalize insults to religion with imprisonment penalties.
Other laws in India
- Apostasy Laws
- Legal
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law
- Flag Desecration
- Criminal offense
- Conversion Therapy
- Partial ban
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.