Amritsar:

The Akal Takht on Friday declared Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal ‘tankhaiya’ — guilty of religious misconduct– for the “mistakes” committed by his party and the party’s government from 2007 to 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, Mr Badal said he will soon appear before the Akal Takht to apologise.

After a meeting of the five Sikh head priests, the jathedar of the Akal Takht Gyani Raghbir Singh asked Mr Badal to appear before the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs within 15 days to seek apology for the decisions he took as the deputy chief minister and as SAD chief that deeply harmed the image of the ‘Panth’ and caused damage to 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.

The members of the Sikh community, who served as ministers in the Akali government from 2007-17, were also directed to appear at the Akal Takht in person to submit their written explanation in 15 days, he said.

The Takht Jathedar did not give details of the “mistakes” committed by Mr Badal. But incidents related to the theft of a ‘bir (copy)’ of the Guru Ganth Sahib, putting up of handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book found scattered at Bargari had taken place in Faridkot in 2015 when the Shiromani Akali Dal was in power.

The Sikh clergy in the meeting included Takht Damdama 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 sought “unconditional forgiveness” for “all mistakes” committed when the SAD was in power in Punjab. He had recently submitted his explanation after the Jathedar asked him to appear in person before the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, following allegations levelled by the party’s rebel leaders, who have asked him to step down.

In his letter earlier, Mr Badal had said he was a “humble servant” of the Guru and dedicated to the Guru Granth Sahib and the Akal Takht.

Mr Badal submitted his explanation after the Jathedar asked him to appear in person before the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, following allegations levelled by the rebel leaders.

Rebel Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and ex-Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, had appeared before the jathedar on July 1 and sought forgiveness for “four mistakes” committed during the party’s government between 2007 and 2017.

Earlier this month, the Akal Takht Secretariat in Amritsar had released a copy of the three-page letter that Mr Badal submitted to Giani Raghbir Singh, the Akal Takht Jathedar on the rebel leaders’ accusations, on July 24.

A section of party leaders have revolted against Mr Badal, asking him to step down.

Mr Badal, in his letter, had said he and his companions will accept with humility every order issued by the Akal Takht, according to ‘Gurmat’ traditions. Mr Badal also attached a copy of an October 2015 letter written by his father and the-then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to the Akal Takht regarding “some tragic incidents” that took place in Punjab from 2007 to 2015.

Incidents related to the theft of a ‘bir (copy)’ of the Guru Ganth Sahib, putting up of handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book found scattered at Bargari had taken place in Faridkot in 2015 when the Shiromani Akali Dal was in power.

During the anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot, two persons were killed and several injured in police firing.

The rebel leaders, referring to the 2015 sacrilege incidents, had said the then government could not ensure punishment to the guilty.

They had also mentioned the 2007 blasphemy case registered against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly imitating the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.

Mr Badal allegedly used his influence to ensure that the Dera chief was pardoned in the blasphemy case, they said.

In 2015, the Akal Takht pardoned the Dera chief based on a written apology. However, bowing to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, it annulled its decision.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal has been summoned by Akal Takht – the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion – on the allegations levelled by rebel Akalis. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has asked Mr Badal to to submit a written explanation on rebel leaders’ accusations that “he did not represent the sentiments of the panth”.

Mr Badal has been asked to respond within 15 days.

A group of rebel Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders had appeared before the Akal Takht Sahib on July 1 and apologised for the “mistakes” committed when their party was in power in the state between 2007 and 2017. They handed the apology letter to the Akal Takht Jathedar at the Akal Takht secretariat at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The jathedar issued a statement after a meeting of the Panj Singh Sahibs – five Sikh high priests.

“According to a complaint by some senior leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the President of Shiromani Akali Dal did not express the sectarian sentiments. Therefore, the SAD president has been asked to personally appear before the Akal Takht Sahib to give a written explanation of the accusations within 15 days,” said a statement issued by the Akal Takht.

It also sought a clarification from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) regarding the allegations levelled by some Akali leaders on spending Rs 90 lakh on advertisements.

“Clarification has been sought from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee with regard to accusations levelled by some Akali leaders about spending Rs 90 lakh on advertisements,” it said.

They sought forgiveness for the “four mistakes” during the former SAD regime between 2007 and 2017, including the failure to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2007 blasphemy case.

They blamed the SAD chief, who was the deputy chief minister at the time, for the “mistakes”

Rebels alleged in the letter that the SGPC had spent nearly Rs 90 lakh on advertisements in newspapers to justify the decision to pardon the Dera chief.

In 2015, the Akal Takht pardoned the Dera chief in the blasphemy case based on a written apology. However, bowing to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, it annulled its decision.

Their letter also referred to the 2015 sacrilege incidents, saying the then Akali government could not ensure punishment to the guilty in these cases.

Former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and party leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur are among the prominent leaders who raised a banner of revolt against Mr Badal.

Meanwhile, Akali Dal spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler has responded to the summons and said that they will follow all the instructions of the Akal Takht Sahib and everyone in Akali Dal, including Sukhbir Singh Badal, will appear before it.