The former ministers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who were part of the cabinet during the 10-year (2007-2017) rule of the SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab and have now rebelled, have decided to reach out to the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs (Akal Takht) in the upcoming week and covey to the Sikh clergy that they had no role in the decision-making process, particularly on the matters which have become contentious now.
Four ministers who have turned rebellious include Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Sikander Singh Maluka, Surjit Singh Rakhra and former SGPC president Jagir Kaur. “We will convey that ministers were consulted only on the matters related to running the government,” said Maluka. “The matters which have become contentious now were neither discussed with ministers in the cabinet and nor were ever talked at the party level. I will reach Akal Takht Sahib next week and explain my position,” he said.
The Akal Takht had on Friday declared SAD president and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for the “mistakes” committed by the SAD and its government from 2007 to 2017 and also summoned Sikh members of his cabinet during the SAD-BJP regimes. The former Akali ministers have been asked to give explanation.
The allegations against Sukhbir Singh Badal included the revocation of the blasphemy case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for imitating Guru Gobind Singh in 2007; “failure” to punish perpetrators of the Bargari sacrilege and police officials for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents; allowing the appointment of controversial IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the Punjab DGP besides giving Farzana Alam, the wife of controversial police officer Izhar Alam, the party ticket in the 2012 assembly elections and appointing her chief parliamentary secretary, and lastly, “failing” to deliver justice to victims in fake encounter cases.
{{/usCountry}}The allegations against Sukhbir Singh Badal included the revocation of the blasphemy case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for imitating Guru Gobind Singh in 2007; “failure” to punish perpetrators of the Bargari sacrilege and police officials for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents; allowing the appointment of controversial IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the Punjab DGP besides giving Farzana Alam, the wife of controversial police officer Izhar Alam, the party ticket in the 2012 assembly elections and appointing her chief parliamentary secretary, and lastly, “failing” to deliver justice to victims in fake encounter cases.
{{/usCountry}}Parminder Singh Dhindsa, who was the finance minister during the SAD-BJP government, also said that the issues being talked now were never discussed at the party or the government levels. “Everything happened at the top level. This is what I will say in my explanation before the Akal Takht,” he said, adding that he has already conveyed that fielding Farzana Alam from Malerkotla in 2012 was done at his family’s behest. “I have already conveyed this to the head priests and we deeply regret that,” he added.
Surjit Singh Rakhra, who is in the US nowadays, is expected to send his explanation soon.
After turning rebellious subsequent to the party’s poor show in the parliament elections, a section of Akali leaders had approached the Akal Takht on July 1 and they had in writing distanced themselves from party’s decisions. The Takht had asked Sukhbir to explain following which the latter sought forgiveness. On Friday, Sukhbir was declared ‘tankhaiya’ and the next day he again reached the temporal seat seeking pardon. Accompanying him were former ministers from the two terms of the SAD-BJP government — Daljit Singh Cheema, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Gulzar Singh Ranike and Sukhbir’s the then adviser Maheshinder Singh Grewal. Sukhbir had urged Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to call a meeting of the Sikh clergy soon for his atonement.