A day after declared 'sinner', Sukhbir Badal appears before Akal Takht

Amritsar: Within 24 hours of being declaring a 'sinner' for 'damaging Sikh interests’ both as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and as the former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday appeared before the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, and requested to call an early meeting of five Sikh head priests to give him an opportunity to rectify his mistakes.

Sukhbir Badal along with four former Cabinet ministers appeared before the Akal Takht as common men, and said in a written clarification that they “are ready to accept all pronouncements”.

Later, he also offered prayers at the Golden Temple.

Akal Takht is the Sikh community’s apex religious institution where Sikhs can seek an apology for any religious or ethical misconduct.

Sukhbir Badal appeared before the Akal Takht Secretariat and handed over the apology and clarification to the staff present there in the absence of Giani Raghbir Singh, the Jathedar of Akal Takht.

Besides Sukhbir Badal, former Akali ministers Daljeet Singh Cheema, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon submitted their explanations in writing at the Akal Takht Secretariat. They also apologised for the mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly when the Shiromani Akali Dal was in power in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Cheema later told mediapersons that after the order of the Akal Takht, they have submitted a written explanation to the Jathedar.

He also said that Sukhbir Badal has appealed to the Jathedar to call a meeting of the five Sikh head priests as soon as possible and announce their decision.

After a meeting of the five Sikh head priests on Friday, Giani Raghbir Singh declared Sukhbir Badal ‘Tankhiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) and asked him to appear before the Akal Takht Sahib within 15 days as a common Sikh.

The entire SAD Cabinet from 2007-2017, which was led by late Parkash Singh Badal, was asked to appear before the Akal Takht to explain its actions which caused harm to the Sikh ‘Panth’. At that time, Sukhbir Badal was the Deputy Chief Minister and SAD President.

The Akal Takht asked the ministers during the tenure of the SAD-BJP government to provide an explanation for their role in the mistakes committed during two consecutive terms, from 2007-12, and 2012-2017.

“Being the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and the President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal took some decisions that deeply harmed the image of the Panth and greatly weakened SAD. They damaged Sikh interests too,” Giani Raghbir Singh had said while pronouncing the verdict from the Takht in the Golden Temple complex here.

Soon after the Akal Takht pronounced its verdict, SAD announced that it accepts the directives with all humility.

On Thursday, Sukhbir Badal, who has been facing disenchantment within the party, appointed his long-time family loyalist and former Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Singh Bhunder as the party's Working President.

SAD rebels and several Sikh organisations have been asking Sukhbir Badal to step down from the post of President in view of the sacrilege incidents during the Akali Dal’s 10-year stint from 2007-17.

The incidents comprise hurting religious sentiments of the Sikh community by self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who allegedly performed an imitation of Guru Gobind Singh at the sect's dera in 2007, and sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib in 2015.

The rebels, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, ex-Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, and former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, on July 1 conveyed to Giani Raghbir Singh that they “are ready to face any punishment that the Akal Takht may deem appropriate”.

In a letter to the Akal Takht Jathedar, they “admitted guilt” over the “mistakes committed” by the party leadership that had “hurt” the Sikh Panth.

The letter also claimed that Sukhbir Badal allegedly used his influence to pardon the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case.

After the rebels sought an apology from Sukhbir Badal, the Akal Takht Secretariat on August 5 released a letter written by the SAD chief to the Jathedar, seeking “unconditional forgiveness”.

“I take responsibility for all mistakes, whether made by the party or during the regime of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal),” the letter read.

Sukhbir Badal had also said that he was ready to face whatever punishment is given to him by the Akal Takht Sahib.

In Punjab, blasphemy has been an emotive issue in every election ever since the 2015 Kotkapura firing case.