Takht jathedar rules: Sukhbir barred from poll activities

Amritsar (The Uttam Hindu) : Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh announced today that Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is barred from participating in any political activities until a "tankhah" (religious punishment) is issued and he complies with it. This announcement diminishes the chances of Sukhbir contesting the upcoming Gidderbaha bypoll, set for November 13, especially since the deadline for submitting nomination papers is October 25.

The Jathedar emphasized that individuals declared "tankhaiya" cannot be pardoned until the tankhah is publicly pronounced from the Akal Takht's podium and the individual adheres to it. The determination regarding Sukhbir’s situation is still pending, as a meeting of five high priests is required to establish the specifics of the tankhah. This meeting is expected to occur after Diwali. On August 30, the high priests had declared Sukhbir "tankhaiya," citing religious misconduct linked to controversial decisions made during his time as Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister from 2007 to 2017.

Yesterday, a delegation from the SAD, including working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder and several former ministers, met with the Jathedar in hopes of securing permission for Sukhbir to lead the party in the bypoll. The party anticipated that a victory in Gidderbaha would signify a revival, recalling that a win there in 1995 led to the SAD forming the government in 1997. Sukhbir was a prominent candidate for Gidderbaha, the constituency previously represented by his father, Parkash Singh Badal, for five consecutive terms.

In response to the Jathedar's statement, former SAD member Virsa Singh Valtoha expressed his views online, suggesting that the situation might now be irreparable. Following the Jathedar’s ruling, SAD has called an emergency meeting of its working committee and district presidents on October 24 at its head office in Chandigarh to discuss the political implications.