Akal Takht declares Akali Dal Chief Sukhbir Badal guilty of religious misconduct
- In Reports
- 01:09 PM, Aug 31, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Friday, the Akal Takht declared Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal as 'tankhaiya'—guilty of religious misconduct—due to the "mistakes" made by his party and its government between 2007 and 2017.
Soon after the declaration, Mr Badal said he bows his head and accepts the order of the Akal Takht.
In a post on X in Punjabi, he mentioned that he will soon appear before the Akal Takht to offer his apology.
Following a meeting of the five Sikh head priests, the jathedar of the Akal Takht, Gyani Raghbir Singh, instructed Mr Badal to appear before the Akal Takht within 15 days to apologise for the decisions he made as deputy chief minister and SAD chief, which were said to have harmed the image of the 'Panth' and damaged Sikh interests.
Mr Badal would remain a 'tankhaiya' until he apologises for his "sins", Singh said while pronouncing verdict from the Akal Takht complex here.
He also mentioned that Sikh community members who served as ministers in the Akali government from 2007-17 have been directed to appear in person at the Akal Takht within 15 days to submit their written explanations.
The Takht Jathedar did not provide specifics about the "mistakes" committed by Mr Badal. However, incidents such as the theft of a 'bir' (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, the posting of handwritten sacrilegious posters, and the discovery of torn pages of the holy book scattered in Bargari occurred in Faridkot in 2015, during the Shiromani Akali Dal's time in power.
The Sikh clergy in the meeting included Takht damadam Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.
A day before the meeting of five Sikh head priests, Mr Badal had appointed senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar as the party's working president.
Mr Badal has requested "unconditional forgiveness" for "all mistakes" made during the SAD's time in power in Punjab. He recently submitted his explanation after the Jathedar instructed him to appear in person before the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs. This request came in response to allegations from the party's rebel leaders, who have called for his resignation.
Rebel Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and ex-Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, appeared before the jathedar on July 1 and sought forgiveness for "four mistakes" made during the party's government between 2007 and 2017.
Earlier this month, the Akal Takht Secretariat in Amritsar released a copy of the three-page letter that Mr Badal had submitted to Giani Raghbir Singh, the Akal Takht Jathedar, on July 24 in response to the rebel leaders' accusations.
A section of party leaders have revolted against Mr Badal, asking him to step down.
In his letter, Mr Badal stated that he and his associates would accept with humility any orders issued by the Akal Takht, following 'Gurmat' traditions. He also included a copy of an October 2015 letter written by his father, then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, to the Akal Takht addressing "some tragic incidents" that occurred in Punjab from 2007 to 2015.
These incidents included the theft of a 'bir' (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, the posting of handwritten sacrilegious posters, and the discovery of torn pages of the holy book scattered in Bargari in Faridkot in 2015, during the Shiromani Akali Dal's rule.
During the anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot, two people were killed and several others were injured in police firing.
The rebel leaders, referring to the 2015 sacrilege incidents, claimed that the then government failed to ensure punishment for those responsible. They also highlighted the 2007 blasphemy case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly imitating the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. In the blasphemy case, the leaders alleged that Mr Badal used his influence to secure a pardon for the Dera chief.
In 2015, the Akal Takht initially pardoned the Derachief based on a written apology. However, due to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, the Akal Takht later annulled its decision.
Image source: NDTV
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