Chandigarh, Shiromani Akali Dal rebel leaders on Monday appeared before the Akal Takht jathedar and apologized for the "mistakes" committed when their party was in power in the state.
They handed over the apology letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at the Akal Takht Secretariat at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Akal Takht is the supreme temporary seat of the Sikhs.
In the letter, the leaders apologized for the "four mistakes" committed during the former SAD regime between 2007 and 2017, including failing to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in the 2007 attacks. blasphemy case.
The rebel leaders noted that the Sikh panth and people of Punjab turned away from the Akali Dal due to these "mistakes", while stating that they were ready to face any punishment in accordance with Sikh principles.
For this reason, the SAD faced "failures" not only on the religious front, but also suffered from people's apathy in the political field, the leaders stated.
A section of senior party leaders have rebelled against SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, demanding that he resign as party chief following his debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
Prominent rebel leaders include former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and party leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur, all of whom contested before the Akal Takht jathedar.
Referring to the incidents of sacrilege, the leaders said the then Akali government could not ensure punishment to the culprits, while underlining that the Sikh panth was outraged by the 2015 incidents.
The Shiromani Akali Dal government, the then Home Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and the SAD president failed to investigate this matter in time and failed to punish the culprits, the letter said.
This led to the situation in Punjab worsening and tragic incidents taking place in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, he said.
"The Shiromani Akali Dal government cannot hold any official responsible for these incidents," he said.
The incidents involving the theft of a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, posting of handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book found scattered in Bargari, took place in Faridkot in 2015.
These incidents sparked protests in Faridkot. In police firing, two people were killed in Behbal Kalan and some were injured in Kotkapura, Faridkot, in October 2015.
The letter also mentions the blasphemy case registered in 2007 against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief for allegedly imitating the 10th Sikh teacher, Guru Gobind Singh in Salabatpura.
"Instead of taking further steps to punish the person, the Shiromani Akali Dal government withdrew this case," the letter said.
In 2021, Badal claimed that the SAD government had never withdrawn the blasphemy case against the Dera chief, who is currently in a Haryana jail. Ram Rahim, in 2017, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two female disciples.
The letter also claimed that Sukhbir Badal allegedly used his influence to pardon the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case.
"...Sukhbir Singh Badal, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal, used his influence to pardon the 'deredar' (Dera chief). They can call the then jathedar of Sri Akal Takht and ask for clarification," the leaders said in the letter.
"But the leadership of Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiromani Committee had to withdraw this decision considering the anger and resentment of the Sikh Panth," he said.
In 2015, Akal Takht pardoned the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case based on a written apology. However, bowing to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, she overturned his decision.
They handed over the apology letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at the Akal Takht Secretariat at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Akal Takht is the supreme temporary seat of the Sikhs.
In the letter, the leaders apologized for the "four mistakes" committed during the former SAD regime between 2007 and 2017, including failing to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in the 2007 attacks. blasphemy case.
The rebel leaders noted that the Sikh panth and people of Punjab turned away from the Akali Dal due to these "mistakes", while stating that they were ready to face any punishment in accordance with Sikh principles.
For this reason, the SAD faced "failures" not only on the religious front, but also suffered from people's apathy in the political field, the leaders stated.
A section of senior party leaders have rebelled against SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, demanding that he resign as party chief following his debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
Prominent rebel leaders include former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and party leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur, all of whom contested before the Akal Takht jathedar.
Referring to the incidents of sacrilege, the leaders said the then Akali government could not ensure punishment to the culprits, while underlining that the Sikh panth was outraged by the 2015 incidents.
The Shiromani Akali Dal government, the then Home Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and the SAD president failed to investigate this matter in time and failed to punish the culprits, the letter said.
This led to the situation in Punjab worsening and tragic incidents taking place in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, he said.
"The Shiromani Akali Dal government cannot hold any official responsible for these incidents," he said.
The incidents involving the theft of a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, posting of handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book found scattered in Bargari, took place in Faridkot in 2015.
These incidents sparked protests in Faridkot. In police firing, two people were killed in Behbal Kalan and some were injured in Kotkapura, Faridkot, in October 2015.
The letter also mentions the blasphemy case registered in 2007 against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief for allegedly imitating the 10th Sikh teacher, Guru Gobind Singh in Salabatpura.
"Instead of taking further steps to punish the person, the Shiromani Akali Dal government withdrew this case," the letter said.
In 2021, Badal claimed that the SAD government had never withdrawn the blasphemy case against the Dera chief, who is currently in a Haryana jail. Ram Rahim, in 2017, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two female disciples.
The letter also claimed that Sukhbir Badal allegedly used his influence to pardon the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case.
"...Sukhbir Singh Badal, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal, used his influence to pardon the 'deredar' (Dera chief). They can call the then jathedar of Sri Akal Takht and ask for clarification," the leaders said in the letter.
"But the leadership of Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiromani Committee had to withdraw this decision considering the anger and resentment of the Sikh Panth," he said.
In 2015, Akal Takht pardoned the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case based on a written apology. However, bowing to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, she overturned his decision.
