Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Pargat Singh targets AAP over sacrilege cases, challenges CM Mann to open debate
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, April 13, 2026:Former Punjab Education Minister and MLA Pargat Singh on Monday launched a sharp attack on the AAP government, alleging failure to deliver justice in long-pending sacrilege cases, including the Maur blast, and questioning the intent behind the newly proposed legislation.
While extending support to the Jagat Jyot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill–2026 tabled in the Punjab Assembly, Pargat Singh urged the government to re-examine all legal aspects to prevent the law from getting entangled in judicial complications.
He also threw an open challenge to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, calling for a public debate comparing action taken in sacrilege cases during the Congress’s five-year tenure versus the four years of the AAP सरकार. “I am ready whenever the Chief Minister is,” he said.
Raising serious concerns over delayed justice, Pargat alleged that even after over four years in power, the AAP government has failed to secure justice for victims of the Maur blast, in which seven people were killed. He claimed that despite completion of the investigation, the case has seen no meaningful progress in the past three and a half years.
The Congress leader further questioned why the Chief Minister appears reluctant to even name Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, and asked whether prosecution sanction in old sacrilege cases has been granted despite prolonged delays.
Detailing the timeline of investigations, Pargat said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had approached him in 2021 regarding the probe involving Ram Rahim, followed by the filing of a chargesheet in a Faridkot court in January 2022. However, he noted that in March 2023, all five key cases were transferred outside Punjab, raising concerns about the hardships faced by witnesses and the lack of political will to address the issue.
Highlighting the broader context, he said sacrilege incidents saw a rise after 2015 and argued that earlier strict action—particularly in cases linked to alleged impersonation of Guru Gobind Singh in 2007—could have prevented subsequent occurrences. He also pointed to earlier cases registered in 2012 that were later cancelled or closed in 2014.
On legislative efforts, Pargat Singh noted that attempts to bring stricter sacrilege laws have been made multiple times—in 2016, 2018, 2025, and now 2026—but without substantial outcomes.
Citing data, he said that since 2015, a total of 597 sacrilege cases have been reported in Punjab, with only 44 convictions—amounting to roughly 7% justice delivery. He added that 83 cases were cancelled during police investigations, 37 dismissed by courts, and 102 remain unsolved.
Taking a dig at AAP leadership, he said party supremo Arvind Kejriwal had promised justice in sacrilege cases and built the party’s Punjab campaign around that assurance. “Now neither Kejriwal nor his guarantee is visible,” he remarked.