Sukhbir Badal urges Akal Takht to expedite decision on religious misconduct charges
Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has requested the Akal Takht to swiftly decide on the religious misconduct charges against him. Badal was declared “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) by five high priests on August 30 for controversial decisions made during his tenure as Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister from 2007 to 2017.
Accompanied by senior SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Badal submitted a written request to Akal Takht Secretariat, urging Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to convene a meeting of the five high priests to pronounce the “hokum” (verdict) as per Gur-maryada.
Badal stated that he has maintained distance from Panthic, political, and social activities since being declared “tankhaiya” over two and a half months ago. He emphasised his willingness to abide by the Akal Takht’s orders.
Dr Cheema noted that the party’s inability to contest the byelection due to the restrictions has taken a toll on the party and the Panth. With civic polls imminent and pressing regional issues, they urged the Akal Takht to expedite the decision.
The Akal Takht had invited Sikh intellectuals to consolidate opinions on the issues and is expected to seek viewpoints from various Sikh organisations before making a decision on Badal and 17 other Sikh ministers.
