Amritsar: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal began serving a religious punishment issued by the Akal Takht on Tuesday for his involvement in the 2015 sacrilege case. The wheelchair-bound leader was seen sitting at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, wearing a plaque around his neck and holding a spear, marking the commencement of his penance.
Alongside Badal, senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, his brother-in-law, also began his sentence by washing utensils at the Golden Temple. Both were assigned duties as part of their punishment for favoring Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2015 sacrilege incident.
Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of the Sikhs, had given Badal the punishment of cleaning the kitchens and bathrooms of several Gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple, for his role in the controversial pardon of Ram Rahim, which led to violent clashes between Dera followers and Sikhs in Punjab.
In addition to Badal, other leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who were cabinet members in 2015, performed similar duties at the Golden Temple on Tuesday between 12 noon and 1 pm. After the cleaning duty, they were required to take a bath and serve langar (community meal).
The punishment followed an unconditional apology tendered by Badal to the Akal Takht, acknowledging his mistakes.
On Monday, the five high priests of the Sikhs, led by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, announced the sentence, calling for Badal’s resignation as SAD president and the reorganization of the party within six months.
Badal was declared a “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) in August after being found responsible for the mistakes made by his party during its tenure in power from 2007 to 2017. These mistakes included the controversial pardon of Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who had earlier dressed like the Sikh Gurus and performed ceremonies that led to his excommunication by the Akal Takht. Sukhbir Badal allegedly used his political influence to secure a pardon for the Dera chief.
