Opposition Corners AAP In Punjab Assembly Over Sacrilege Law Demand

The emotive issue of sacrilege overshadowed proceedings on the third day of the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, with the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) joining forces to corner the Bhagwant Mann government over its failure to amend the anti-sacrilege law despite assurances made to the Akal Takht.High drama unfolded during Zero Hour as Congress MLAs, along with SAD legislators Ganieve Kaur and Manpreet Singh Ayali, accused the AAP government of reneging on its commitment to strengthen the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. The Opposition alleged that the government had backtracked on the issue despite repeated interventions by the Akal Takht.Raising slogans of "Panth Dokhi", Opposition members marched into the Well of the House, triggering a noisy confrontation. Treasury bench members responded with identical slogans against the Congress and the Akali Dal, accusing both parties of betraying Sikh interests. Amid the uproar, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan wrapped up Zero Hour in just 14 minutes-well short of its scheduled one-hour duration.The confrontation began after Ganieve Kaur accused the government of undermining the authority of the Akal Takht by failing to honour its commitment on the sacrilege law. When the Speaker remarked that the House resembled a "Sangat", the Akali MLA responded that it was a House of elected legislators, not a religious congregation, prompting fresh sloganeering from the treasury benches against the Badals.The Speaker briefly adjourned the House for eight minutes before proceedings resumed with a Call Attention Motion.The Congress had earlier launched protests during Question Hour, alleging that Assembly security personnel prevented its MLAs from carrying protest placards into the House while allowing ruling party legislators to display banners against the BJP. Congress legislators entered the Well demanding a response from the Speaker on their adjournment motion. Even after the motion was rejected, they continued their protest.Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also raised the issue of the Enforcement Directorate's investigation into the alleged irregular allotment of industrial plots by the Punjab State Industrial Export Corporation (PSIEC), accusing the government of shielding those under scrutiny.The developments underscored how the sacrilege issue has once again emerged as the principal political flashpoint of the Assembly session, with the Opposition seeking to portray the AAP government as having failed to fulfil its commitment on one of Punjab's most sensitive issues. This version maintains the same chronology while using neutral, reportorial language.