Decision on Sukhbir’s apology tomorrow
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal had appeared before the highest Sikh temporal seat on July 24 with a written explanation to the allegations levelled by the rebel Akali Dal leaders.
Five Sikh head priests will meet on Friday to decide on the unconditional apology tendered by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal for all the mistakes committed by the party and its government during two tenures from 2007 to 2017.
Giani Raghbir Singh, jathedar of the highest Sikh temporal seat, will chair the meeting with jathedars of Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib as the other two members. The rest of the members can be either from Takht Patna Sahib and Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded, or granthis of the Golden Temple and Akal Takht.
Sukhbir appeared before the highest Sikh temporal seat on July 24 with a written explanation to the allegations levelled by the rebel Akali Dal leaders.
On July 1, the SAD rebels approached Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, seeking an apology admitting that in the SAD-BJP government from 2007 to 2017, mistakes were committed when Sukhbir was the deputy CM.
The SAD rebels had highlighted the revocation of the blasphemy case against the Dera chief in 2007; the failure to punish perpetrators of the Bargari sacrilege and police officials for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents and allowing the appointment of controversial IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the Punjab DGP as the mistakes committed during party’s 10-year regime in Punjab.
Ever since Sukhbir’s apology was made public, Akal Takht has received scores of letters and representations from Sikh bodies and individuals from across the world. Many Sikh groups have said that the usual tankhah (religious punishment) will not work in this case.
Sikh historian Harinder Singh Khalsa said that this is a historic and crucial moment for the Sikh community. “Singh Sahiban should decide in light of historical incidents. If they do not do so, the jathedar will have to face a similar situation as faced by Giani Gurbachan Singh, who pardoned Dera chief”.
Avtar Singh, a UK-based Sikh political thinker, added that though the community is seeking exemplary verdict, “we cannot expect much because of the limitation of the system.”
