Chandigarh, Oct. 23 -- Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh on Thursday moved a privilege motion against chief minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing him of misleading the House regarding the 2018 Punjab anti-sacrilege bill and backtracking from amending the law. Pargat, who is also the Jalandhar Cantt MLA, alleged that despite a consensus among all legislators on amending the law in the presence of the Akal Takht jathedar, the government was now backing away from its commitment. The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was unanimously passed by the assembly on April 13. It includes a provision for stricter punishment, including life imprisonment for any act of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib. It also proposes fines from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. However, the Akal Takht raised several objections to the law, particularly related to some Sikh terminology, the "custodian" of the religious text and assigning unique numbers to the holy "birs". "The chief minister 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," Pargat claimed after submitting the privilege motion against Mann to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan through the assembly secretary on the first day of the session here. "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," he said. The Congress leader said 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. "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," added Pargat. He said the assembly is a vital democratic institution where every member has the right to receive accurate information based on facts and official documents. Pargat alleged that the AAP 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 assembly. Pargat said the issue of sacrilege is deeply connected with Punjab's religious sentiments, faith and the trust of its people....