Amritsar: Five high priests headed by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Monday pronounced religious punishment, also known as “tankhah” for Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was earlier declared guilty of religious misconduct. The former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister has been ordered to clean utensils and shoes in the Golden Temple.
Also Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, withdrew the title of ‘Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum’ from former chief minister late Parkash Singh Badal, the grand man of the state’s politics. He was also blamed for ‘facilitating’ pardon to self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the blasphemy case.
Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh told the working committee of the Akali Dal to accept the resignation of Sukhbir Badal as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President within three days and directed the party’s working committee to launch a membership drive and elect a new President within six months.
Sukhbir Badal and other ministers, who took political decisions between 2007 and 2017 when their party was at the helm and had harmed the Sikh Panth, were asked to appear before the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex here on August 30 and were declared ‘tankhaiya’ but not awarded the punishment.
Also Akali Dal leaders Sukhbir Badal, Sukhdev Dhindsa, Gulzar Singh Ranike and Janmeja Sekhon have been ordered to wear a ‘sewadar’ uniform and perform the ‘sewa’ of cleaning utensils and shoes as atonement. Earlier in the day, Sukhbir Badal reached Akal Takht Sahib in a wheelchair.
Besides Sukhbir Badal, Giani Raghbir Singh had summoned other members of his party, besides key figures from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to provide explanations regarding allegations of religious violations. (IANS)
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