Amritsar, Aug 30: In a far-reaching development, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal was on Friday indicted by the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, for religious misconduct by the party and its government from 2007-17 when SAD was in power in Punjab.

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

Reacting to his indictment, Sukhbir Badal said in a post on X, "Das bows his head and accepts the order issued by Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the highest shrine of Miri Piri. According to the order, I will soon appear in front of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and test the Khima."

The 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 the two consecutive terms, from 2007-12, and 2012-2017.

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

“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 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.

SAD Vice President Daljit Cheema said in a message the party “bows before the edict and would act accordingly”. He also said Sukhbir Badal had appeared before Akal Takht last month and accepted his government’s mistakes.

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.

To recall, the Akal Takht had pardoned the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case after a written apology in 2015.

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 Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal),” the letter read.

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

The rebel leaders also alleged that the SGPC had spent nearly Rs 90 lakh on newspaper advertisements to justify the decision of pardoning the Dera chief.

Sukhbir Badal, while expressing regret at the 103rd foundation day of the party on December 15, 2023, had blamed SAD for its failure to apprehend the individuals responsible for the sacrilege incidents.

In February 2023, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases of sacrilege and police firing in 2015 had filed a charge-sheet in a Faridkot court, indicting Sukhbir Badal and then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini as masterminds.

The charge-sheet also blamed then Chief Minister and Sukhbir Badal's father, Parkash Singh Badal, for the Kotkapura firing case following sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the subsequent violence in which the police force was accused of excesses that left two people dead.

Official sources told IANS that then Home Minister Sukhbir Badal and then DGP Sumedh Saini had hatched a conspiracy to use force to conceal the state government's inaction after incidents of sacrilege in Faridkot district.

Parkash Singh Badal was also blamed for 'facilitating' the execution of the conspiracy.

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

--IANS

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