Why Akal Takht ordered Sukhbir Badal to clean toilets, wash utensils at Golden Temple

Sukhbir Singh Badal, the former deputy chief minister of Punjab and ex-president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has been “ordered” to wash utensils and clean bathrooms.

The Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of Sikhs, has called for Sukhbir Badal’s removal as SAD president due to “mistakes” made by the party and its government in Punjab between 2007 and 2017.

On Tuesday, Sukhbir Badal began serving the religious punishment. Visuals showed the former SAD leader sitting in a wheelchair at the Golden Temple’s entrance, with a plaque around his neck and holding a spear.

#WATCH | Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal arrives at Golden Temple in Amritsar with a plaque around his neck following the religious punishment pronounced for him by Sri Akal Takht Sahib yesterday.

The punishment includes a directive to perform as a… pic.twitter.com/4no3IstT9N

— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024

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What is the case against Sukhbir Badal?

In August, Akal Takht declared Sukhbir Badal “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) over “some decisions” made during his tenure as deputy CM from 2007 to 2017.

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The declaration was made by the five high priests of the Akal Takht. Giani Raghbir Singh, while reading the order, said that Sukhbir Badal and other Sikh cabinet ministers must submit written explanations within 15 days.

According to the Akal Takht, the SAD, which governed Punjab in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during this period, committed “religious mistakes”, Hindustan Times said in a report.

One key accusation against Sukhbir Badal is connected to the 2015 sacrilege case involving the Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism’s central holy scripture. Badal, who was deputy CM in a government led by his father, was penalised for allegedly “favouring” Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim during this controversy.

Notably, the Akal Takht has withdrawn the title of ‘Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum’ (pride of the community) awarded to Sukhbir’s late father, Parkash Singh Badal, in 2011. The senior Badal was posthumously punished for his role in “anti-Sikh” decisions during his tenure as chief minister. Parkash Badal, a five-time chief minister of Punjab, passed away in April last year.

The sacrilege incident led to violent clashes between Sikhs and Dera followers across Punjab. Despite Ram Rahim’s excommunication from the Sikh community in 2007, the Akali leadership was accused of maintaining ties with him. Later, Sukhbir Badal and other party leaders were involved in obtaining a “pardon” for the Dera chief from the Akal Takht in the sacrilege case.

Before the punishment was declared, the Akal Takht jathedar questioned Sukhbir Singh Badal on several counts. He was asked whether he was responsible for “diminishing the glory” of Sikhism, promoting police officers accused of massacring Sikhs during the militancy years and facilitating the pardon of Gurmeet Ram Rahim by summoning the then jathedars to his residence in Chandigarh, The Print said in a report.

He was also questioned about his failure to arrest those guilty in sacrilege cases and whether he misused donations made to the Golden Temple to fund advertisements justifying the decision to pardon the Dera chief, the report said.

The punishment is linked to several incidents connected to the sacrilege controversy, including the Kotkapura police firing of October 2015. The appointment of IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the state’s police chief during this time also drew sharp criticism from the highest Sikh authority. Saini has been accused of human rights violations during Punjab’s militancy era.

On October 14, 2015, police allegedly opened fire on protesters at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan who were protesting against a sacrilege incident that had occurred in Bargari, Faridkot district, HT said in a report. Two Sikh protesters lost their lives in Behbal Kalan, while several others were injured in Kotkapura.

In February 2023, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by ADGP LK Yadav filed a chargesheet in the Kotkapura firing case. Those named in the chargesheet include Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Sukhbir Badal, and six police officers, including former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini.

What are his punishments?

The Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht announced the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) for Sukhbir Badal, instructing him to clean bathrooms at Sri Darbar Sahib from 12 to 1 pm on December 3. He is also required to wash utensils for an hour and listen to Gurbani. During this, he must wear a plaque around his neck, ANI reported.

Notably, Sukhbir Badal, who is the husband of Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, has accepted the charges against him. The clergy also issued religious punishments for others associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal, including Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Sucha Singh Langah, Hira Singh Gabaria, and Balwinder Singh Bhundar.

Arriving at the Golden Temple in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, Sukhbir Badal was asked to carry a “jhola on the deori” and hold a barsha. He has been directed to sit outside the Golden Temple for an hour each day over two days, dressed as a ‘sewadar’. Further, he must serve for an hour in the langar at gurdwaras, the report said.

The Sikh clergy further criticised the Akali leadership, stating that it had lost its moral foundation. They have called for new elections to appoint the SAD president and office bearers within six months. Notably, Sukhbir Badal had resigned as SAD president in November this year. The clergy also urged the rebel faction to work towards strengthening the Akali Dal.

“The Akali Dal failed the community and as a result the community had to resort to protecting itself using weapons. That led to much bloodshed. The police barbarically killed hundreds of innocents including women and children,” Takht Sri Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said, according to The Print.

Six other Akali Dal leaders - Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Daljit Singh Cheema, Hira Singh Gabria Sucha Singh Langah, Gulzar Singh Ranike, and Balwinder Singh Bhunder - were also held accountable by the Akal Takht for supporting decisions made by the Badals.

Except for Dhindsa, all six leaders were instructed to clean the toilets in the Golden Temple complex for an hour on Tuesday and Wednesday. Following that, they must carry out seva in the langar hall, wash utensils, listen to kirtan for an hour, and complete a full reading of the Sukhmani Sahib, a sacred Sikh scripture.

With inputs from agencies