"Sukhbir Badal's Punishment Begins Today, Sits at Golden Temple Gate Wearing Plaque Around His Neck, Photo Surfaces"
Amritsar (The Uttam Hindu): The 'Supreme Court' of the Sikh community, i.e. Sri Akal Takht Sahib, on Monday pronounced religious punishment on former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Sukhbir will have to wash utensils in the Gurudwara Sahib and also undergo other religious punishments. Other convicts will also have to clean toilets. Takht Shri has pronounced this punishment on 17 people including Sukhbir. This also includes other cabinet members of the Akali government of 2015. The punishment of all, including Sukhbir, will begin from today, i.e. Tuesday.
Sukhbir and others have been pronounced this punishment for the 'crimes' of the SAD government. This also includes cases of sacrilege and pardon to the Dera chief. Sri Akal Takht had summoned the entire Akali cabinet of the government from 2007 to 2017, the party's core committee and the internal committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee of 2015. Takht Shri heard the sentence for about 4 hours.
Sukhbir was declared Tankhaiya 93 days ago. He has been found guilty of four 'mistakes' during the reign of the SAD. Sukhbir was accused of not punishing the culprits in the 2015 sacrilege case of the holy book Guru Granth Sahib and playing a role in getting Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh pardoned for dressing up like Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and pretending to administer Amrit. Sukhbir's father Prakash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister when the sacrilege cases took place in Punjab. Sukhbir Badal was declared Tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht on 30 August.
Sukhbir Badal has been the Deputy CM of Punjab twice and the President of the Shiromani Akali Dal for 16 years. His father late Prakash Singh Badal has been the CM of Punjab 5 times. Prakash Singh Badal founded the SAD.
Apart from this, the Takht Shri has withdrawn the Fakhr-e-Qaum title given to Sukhbir's father Prakash Singh Badal 13 years ago. Prakash has been popularly known as 'Bade Badal' in Punjab.
Sri Akal Takht Sahib has directed the Akali Dal's working committee to accept the resignations of all, including Sukhbir Badal, within three days and report to Akal Takht Sahib. Akal Takht has also directed the working committee to start a membership drive and elect a new president within six months. This means that now SAD will not only have to make new members, but will also have to make new appointments to all posts.
A meeting of five Singh Sahibs was held in Sri Akal Takht regarding Sukhbir Badal's case. All the accused, including Sukhbir, appeared in it. Takht Sahib's Jathedar Giani Raghubar Singh said, Sukhbir has confessed to the crime that he called the Jathedar Sahibs to his residence and pressurized them to pardon Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Prakash Singh Badal was also involved in this work. Therefore, it has been decided to take back the title given to him. Sukhbir has accepted the allegations against him one by one. It is alleged that the advertisement was released after Ram Rahim was pardoned. Now Sukhbir Badal, Balwinder Singh Bhudand, Daljit Singh Cheema, Hira Singh Gabdiya will return the money of this advertisement along with the interest to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
Who are the guilty?
Apart from Sukhbir, the 16 other accused who have been sentenced include Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Vikram Majithia, Surjit Singh, Maheshinder Singh, Sarbjit Singh, Sohan Singh Thandal, Charanjit Singh, Adesh Pratap Singh. It is alleged that they supported the government's decision. All of them will clean the bathrooms of Darbar Sahib from 12 noon to 1 pm on December 3. Apart from this, they will go to the Gurudwara Sahib near their home. They will clean utensils there for an hour. They will help in the langar and will also clean the joints. They can also do any other kind of service.
Apart from this, Suchha Singh Lungah, Hira Singh Gabdiya, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Daljit Cheema and Gulzar Ranike will clean the bathrooms made for the Sangat from 12 noon to 1 pm. After bathing there, they will clean utensils in the langar hall for one hour. They will listen to kirtan for one hour. They will recite Sri Sukhmani Sahib. This service will have to be done in different Gurudwara Sahibs for five days. Sukhbir Badal has a fracture in his leg. When he arrived for the hearing on Monday, he was on a wheelchair. Sukhbir Singh's punishment will start from December 3. He will guard Sri Darbar Sahib near the clock tower with a lance and wearing the robe of a sevadar for one hour each day. Sukhbir will remain on the wheelchair. During this time, he will have to wear a placard around his neck. He will have to do the same service for two days in Sri Keshgarh Sahib, two days in Sri Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sabo, two days in Sri Muktsar Sahib and two days in Sri Fatehgarh Sahib. After the sevadaari, he will go to the langar house and clean utensils there. They will sit and listen to kirtan for an hour. They will recite Sri Sukhmani Sahib. The same punishment has been given to Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Akal Takht has also sentenced former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh. He cannot address religious gatherings.
