The Akal Takht Jathedar on Monday held a meeting of the five ‘Singh Sahiban’ (Sikh clergy) and pronounced punishment after former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was declared a ‘tankhaiya’ — guilty of religious misconduct — by Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Jathedars of the five Takhts.
Sri Akal Takht Sahib ordered Badal and his companions to clean the bathroom for one hour and wash utensils at langer for one hour. Core committee members including Sukhbir Singh Badal and leaders who were Cabinet members in the year 2015 will clean the bathrooms from 12 noon to 1 pm on 3 December. After which they will take a bath and serve in the langar house. Later, Sri Sukhmani Sahib will have to be recited.
Pronouncing the order from the faseel (podium) of the Akal Takht in Amritsar, the jathedar of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Giani Raghbir Singh, also directed the working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to accept the resignation of Sukhbir Badal as party chief, besides forming a committee to hold elections for the post of SAD president and other office-bearers within six months.
The jathedar further announced to withdraw the title of ‘Fakhre-e-Qaum’ bestowed upon former chief minister late Parkash Singh Badal, father of Sukhbir Badal. The five Singh Sahibans (Sikh clergy) also pronounced religious punishment for other Sikh leaders who served as ministers in the Akali cabinet during 2007 to 2017.
Giani Raghbir Singh said Sukhbir Badal, who was in a wheelchair because of a fractured leg, and rebel leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa have been asked to sit outside the Golden Temple wearing the sewadar‘s garments for one hour each for two days.
Before the pronouncement of the edict, Badal admitted his mistakes, including pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case during the SAD regime. The punishment came nearly three months after Sukhbir Badal was declared tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht.
Badal was declared ‘tankhaiya’ after rebel party leaders including Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Jagir Kaur and other leaders had appeared before the Akal Takht on July 1 and had sought forgiveness for four “mistakes” during the SAD between 2007 and 2017, including failure to punish those responsible for 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case.
