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Punjab: 5 weeks on, no word on Takht meet on Sukhbir
Akal Takht has yet to meet on SAD leader Sukhbir Badal's punishment for past misconduct, amid ongoing tensions and political pressures.
It’s been more than five weeks since Akal Takht declared Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for the “mistakes” committed by the party and its government from 2007 to 2017, but the Sikh clergy has not called meeting at the highest Sikh temporal seat for pronouncing ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) to the party president.
A day after being declared ‘tankhaiya’, Badal had on August 31 appeared at the Takht and tendered apology in writing, besides urging Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to call a meeting of the Panj Singh Sahiban (Sikh clergy) soon for his atonement. After that the Sikh clergy and the SGPC got busy in the centenary events of Gurgaddi (guruship) Diwas of Guru Ramdas and Joti Jot Diwas of Guru Amardas and the centenary functions culminated on September 18. It was being expected that the meeting would be held after this day, but that didn’t happen.
Days later, a row erupted over the notice issued by the Akal Takht jathedar to Jagir Kaur, former president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), that asked her to submit a written explanation over the allegations levelled by some persons against her regarding the death of her daughter Harpreet Kaur and ‘romman di beadbi’ (cutting or trimming hairs which is prohibited as per Sikh tenets). This invited criticism from the Sikh segments who termed the notice “unjustified and issued under pressure of Sukhbir Badal camp”.
According to people familiar with the development, Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, a key member of the Sikh clergy, was “annoyed” over the notice to Jagir Kaur. After issuance of notice, he visited the Golden Temple to deliver daily hukamnama’s katha (religious discourse), but returned without meeting Akal Takht jathedar, according to information. Meanwhile, Giani Raghbir Singh fell ill and was hospitalised. He was discharged on Saturday. He will take rest for some days before resuming his duty.
Officials of the Akal Takht secretariat expressed ignorance about the meeting which is to be called by Giani Raghbir Singh. Before the decision about Sukhbir, the Sikh clergy is to go through the clarifications submitted by the Sikhs who served as ministers in the Akali government, said sources.
On the other hand, according to information, the SAD leadership wants the meeting at the earliest so that Sukhbir Badal can be free from the atonement process and return to the political arena openly. Being tankhaiya, he cannot work openly as the president of the SAD, which is a panthic party. The party needs him amid the panchayat elections. Byelections to the four assembly seats — Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, Gidderbaha and Barnala — are upcoming.
The mistakes cited by the Akali rebel leaders included the revocation of the blasphemy case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim for imitating Guru Gobind Singh in 2007, “failure” to punish the 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.
