The former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab was seen sitting in a wheelchair at the entrance of the prestigious Golden Temple in Amritsar on Tuesday morning, while he wore a plaque around his neck and held a spear in hand.
Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal sits by the gate at Golden Temple in Amritsar with a plaque around his neck and spear in his hand as one of the religious punishments pronounced for him by Sri Akal Takht Sahib yesterday. https://t.co/NNC4BR0sWt pic.twitter.com/9A1VhO3Bte
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024
On the other hand, party leader Bikram Singh Majithia was seen washing utensils at Golden Temple.
#WATCH | Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia washes utensils at Golden Temple in Amritsar following the religious punishment pronounced for him by Sri Akal Takht Sahib yesterday.
The punishment includes a directive to perform as a ‘sewadar’ and clean… pic.twitter.com/oWqmMPDlki— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024
On Monday, the Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht pronounced ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) for Sukhbir Singh Badal and other SAD leaders for the ‘mistakes’ committed by their government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. The senior leader was asked to work as a ‘sewadar’, besides washing dishes and cleaning shoes at the Golden Temple.
Besides this, the Jathedar of the highest temporal seat for Sikhs, Giani Raghbir Singh, while pronouncing the order from ‘faseel’ (podium) of the Akal Takht, also said that the title of ‘Fakhre-e-Qaum’, which was bestowed upon the former chief minister, late Parkash Singh Badal, has been withdrawn.
The five-time chief minister passed away in April last year.
The Jathedar asked the SAD working committee to accept Sukhbir Badal’s resignation as president of the party, besides coming up with a committee to hold elections for the post of SAD president as well as other office-bearers within six months.
Religious punishment was announced by the five ‘Singh Sahibans’ (Sikh clergy) for other Sikh leaders, who served as ministers in the SAD government’s Cabinet from 2007 to 2017.
Sukhbir Badal, along with rebel leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, were asked to sit outside the Golden Temple while wearing the ‘sewadar’ dress and holding a spear for one hour each for a total of two days, PTI reported.
Further, they were asked to wear small boards around their neck to acknowledge their ‘misdeeds’, besides performing the service of ’sewadar’ at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib, Darbar Sahib at Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib for two days each, the news agency added.
Sukhbir Badal and Sukhdev Dhindsa were asked to clean the utensils and shoes of devotees at the Golden Temple for one hour, besides listening to ‘kirtan’.
The SAD leader earlier admitted the mistakes, including pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda’s Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case at the time of SAD rule in Punjab.
The punishment was announced around three months after Akal Takht declared Sukhbir Badal as ‘tankhaiya’, guilty of religious misconduct.
