Former Punjab deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday sat by the gate Golden Temple in Punjab’s Amritsar with a plaque around his neck and spear in his hand. The reason for this is that on 2nd December, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal and the former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal has been awarded with ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) by the Five High Priests headed by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh.
Badal has been sentenced to clean bathrooms and kitchens of several Gurdwaras including Amritsar’s Golden Temple for his alleged role in supporting Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim during the 2015 sacrilege incident involving Guru Granth Sahib.
The priests, led by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, directed Sukhbir to perform various acts of public penance outside the Clock Tower at Golden Temple and at other key Sikh shrines for two days each wearing sewadar attire and a placard with Gurbani verses. Sukhbir Badal, who arrived at the Golden Temple in a wheelchair because of a fractured leg, was asked to carry a “jhola on the deori” and hold a barsha.
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs, has issued a strict religious punishment to former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal of cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms of key Gurdwaras for the 2015 sacrilege incident. Sukhbir Singh Badal and his party were held accountable for their actions during the Akali Dal’s tenure in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. These included granting a controversial pardon to Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who had been excommunicated in 2007 for mimicking Sikh Gurus which offended the religious sentiments of the Sikh community.
It must be noted that Sukhbir Singh Badal has recently tendered an unconditional apology for the incident. Alongside other leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), he is scheduled to perform these duties on 3rd of December from 12 PM to 1 PM. After completing the cleaning, they will take a ritual bath and serve langar (community meals).
The Akal Takht has also taken a significant step against Sukhbir’s late father, Parkash Singh Badal, the former Punjab Chief Minister. Prakash Singh Badal was stripped of the prestigious Fakhr-e-Qaum (Pride of the Sikh Community) honor, which he received in 2011 for his contributions to the Sikh community.
The Akal Takht jathedar, Giani Raghbir Singh, has also urged the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)working committee to accept Sukhbir Badal’s resignation as party chief and initiate a reorganization within six months.
