Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has started 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, too 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
— ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Saka Nakodar:4Feb86 ਸਾਕਾ ਨਕੋਦਰ:੪ਫ਼ਰਵਰੀ੮੬ (@sakanakodar) December 3, 2024
#WATCH | Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia washes utensils at Golden Temple in Amritsar following the religious punishment pronounced for him by Sri Akal Takht Sahib yesterday.
The punishment includes a directive to perform as a ‘sewadar’ and clean… pic.twitter.com/oWqmMPDlki
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024
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 for favouring Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2015 sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal sits by the gate at Golden Temple in Amritsar with a plaque around his neck and spear in his hand as one of the religious punishments pronounced for him by Sri Akal Takht Sahib yesterday. https://t.co/NNC4BR0sWt pic.twitter.com/9A1VhO3Bte
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024
Five high priests of the Sikhs yesterday declared the quantum of ‘tankhah’, a religious punishment for misconduct. 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.