Sukhbir Badal serves Akal Takht punishment as guard at Golden Temple

Sukhbir Badal spared Gurdwara toilet cleaning due to Leg fracture, assigned guard duty

On Tuesday, former Punjab Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and other senior SAD leaders reached the holiest of Sikh shrines, the Golden Temple, with a plaque around their necks to perform ‘sewa (selfless service)’, including cleaning bathrooms, utensils, and devotees’ shoes.

Sukhbir Badal, who was in a wheelchair owing to a hairline fracture in the foot, served for one hour at the entrance of the Golden Temple.

Sukhbir Badal along with the leaders of the Akali Dal, who were cabinet ministers, cleaned bathrooms, utensils, and devotees’ shoes, besides serving ‘langar’.

Senior Akali leader and now a rebel Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who was also awarded similar punishment, was also in a wheelchair owing to his elderly age and performed the duty of a guard.

A day earlier, the five high priests directed senior Akali leaders, including Sukhbir Badal, to perform as a ‘sewadar‘ by washing dishes and cleaning shoes as part of ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) for the “sins” committed by his government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

The Akal Takht also revoked the ‘Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum’ (pride of community) tiled bestowed on Sukhbir’s father Parkash Singh Badal in 2011. Senior Badal was punished posthumously for being party to ‘anti-Sikh’ decisions made during his tenure as Chief Minister.

The punishment for Sukhbir Badal was announced by Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh from the ramparts of the Akal Takht Sahib at the Golden Temple, following a joint meeting of the jathedars of the five takhts, the highest Sikh religious authority.

The high priests also instructed the Akali Dal’s working committee to accept Sukhbir Badal’s resignation as party chief within three days. Additionally, they directed the formation of a panel to conduct elections for the post of president and other office-bearers within the next six months.

This decision comes three months after Badal was declared ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) for his role in failing to address the 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning Sirsa dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

As part of his punishment, Sukhbir Badal was ordered to serve as a guard at the entrance of the Golden Temple on December 3 and 4, wearing a guard’s dress while seated in a wheelchair due to an injured foot.

This penalty follows his failure to act on key religious issues during his tenure and the demands for accountability from party rebels who had sought forgiveness from the Akal Takht earlier in July.

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