AAP government backtracking on amendments to anti-sacrilege law; Chief Minister misled the House: Pargat Singh

Chandigarh, October 22, 2026: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Pargat Singh criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government over its handling of the proposed amendments to the anti-sacrilege law. He alleged that despite a consensus among all Punjab MLAs on amending the law in the presence of the respected Jathedars of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the government was now backing away from its commitment. He said the government was not only avoiding amendments to the law but was also retreating from consultations with Sikh institutions and a discussion on the sensitive issue in the Punjab Legislative Assembly.
Pargat Singh alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had misled the House regarding the 2018 Punjab anti-sacrilege Bill and the documents sent by the Punjab Legislative Assembly to the President’s Office. He said that the Chief Minister was expected to place accurate facts and complete information before members of the House, which is a vital democratic institution. Allegations of misleading the Assembly raise serious concerns regarding its dignity, parliamentary conventions and democratic accountability.
Taking serious note of the matter, Pargat Singh today submitted a Privilege Motion against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan through Punjab Assembly Secretary Ram Lok Khatana. The motion concerns the alleged misleading of the House regarding the 2018 Punjab anti-sacrilege Bill and the documents sent to the President’s Office.
He said the Legislative Assembly is a vital democratic institution where every member has the right to receive accurate information based on facts and official documents. It is the government’s responsibility to present the facts clearly before the House. If there are discrepancies between the Chief Minister’s statements and official documents, the matter must be investigated impartially and the truth brought before the public.
Speaking about the issue of sacrilege, Pargat Singh said it is deeply connected with Punjab’s religious sentiments, faith and the trust of its people. Despite a consensus among all legislators on such a sensitive matter, the government’s reluctance to amend the law and hold a discussion in the Assembly raises several serious questions. The government must explain why it is unwilling to proceed in accordance with the consensus reached earlier and what objection it has to an open discussion on the issue in the Assembly.
He emphasised that matters involving religious sentiments must be handled with transparency, sensitivity and accountability rather than political rhetoric. The people of Punjab have the right to know the current status of the proposed amendments to the anti-sacrilege law and the actual position regarding the documents sent to the President’s Office in 2018.
Pargat Singh said that establishing the truth is essential to protecting the dignity of the Legislative Assembly and upholding parliamentary conventions. Through the Privilege Motion, he has sought scrutiny of the Chief Minister’s role and accountability in the matter, so that the rights of the House and the dignity of democratic institutions are preserved.