Plaque Around His Neck, Sukhbir Badal Serves Punishment At Golden TempleFormer Punjab Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has started his penance serving the religious punishment given to him by the highest temporal body of Sikhs in a sacrilege case. The chief of the Akali Dal sat in a wheelchair at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar this morning, wearing a plaque around his neck and holding a spear, showed visuals.
Senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of Mr Badal, began his sentence by washing utensils at the Golden Temple.
The Akal Takht had held Sukhbir Badal guilty of religious misconduct in August for "mistakes committed by the party when it was in power in Punjab from 2007 to 2017" and declared him a "tankhaiya" - an individual found guilty of religious misconduct.
The quantum of the 'tankhah' was declared yesterday. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has also asked the Akali Dal working committee to accept Mr Badal's resignation as party chief.
Mr Badal along with leaders and core committee members of Akali Dal, who were cabinet members in 2015, have been directed to clean the bathrooms at the Golden Temple for an hour from noon. They will take a bath after the cleaning duty and serve langar.
His father and former chief minister of Punjab, late Parkash Singh Badal, has also been stripped of the Fakhr-e-Qaum (pride of the Sikh community) honour that was bestowed on him in 2011 for services to the community.
Sukhbir Badal was found guilty by the Akal Takht for using his influence to get Ram Rahim pardoned after the Dera chief was excommunicated by the Sikh body for dressing like Sikh Gurus and performing a ceremony. The sacrilege cases involving Ram Rahim had sparked clashes between Dera followers and Sikhs in Punjab.
Senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of Mr Badal, began his sentence by washing utensils at the Golden Temple.
Sukhbir Badal at Sri Darbar Sahib Complex to serve day 1 of Tankhah. pic.twitter.com/LSoUxVBOzY
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Mr Badal has been sentenced by the Akal Takht to perform as a 'sewadar' and given clean duty in the kitchen and toilet at several gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple, for favouring Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2015 sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
The Akal Takht had held Sukhbir Badal guilty of religious misconduct in August for "mistakes committed by the party when it was in power in Punjab from 2007 to 2017" and declared him a "tankhaiya" - an individual found guilty of religious misconduct.
Mr Badal had admitted his mistakes and tendered an unconditional apology to the Akal Takht.
The quantum of the 'tankhah' was declared yesterday. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has also asked the Akali Dal working committee to accept Mr Badal's resignation as party chief.
Mr Badal along with leaders and core committee members of Akali Dal, who were cabinet members in 2015, have been directed to clean the bathrooms at the Golden Temple for an hour from noon. They will take a bath after the cleaning duty and serve langar.
His father and former chief minister of Punjab, late Parkash Singh Badal, has also been stripped of the Fakhr-e-Qaum (pride of the Sikh community) honour that was bestowed on him in 2011 for services to the community.
Sukhbir Badal was found guilty by the Akal Takht for using his influence to get Ram Rahim pardoned after the Dera chief was excommunicated by the Sikh body for dressing like Sikh Gurus and performing a ceremony. The sacrilege cases involving Ram Rahim had sparked clashes between Dera followers and Sikhs in Punjab.