Sukhbir Singh Badal Spared Gurdwara Toilet Cleaning Due To Leg Fracture, Assigned Guard Duty Over Sacrilege Cases

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal began serving the sentence by Akal Takht on Tuesday (3 December) by standing guard outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of Sikhs, imposed a religious punishment on Badal and other SAD leaders for "mistakes" committed during the party's governance in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Badal and other senior SAD leaders, including former Cabinet ministers, were instructed to perform various acts of service such as cleaning toilets and assisting in the community kitchen.

However, due to a leg fracture, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh allowed Badal to stand guard with a spear instead of engaging in more physically demanding tasks, Indian Express reported.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa received a similar concession and joined Badal as a gatekeeper, clad in traditional servant attire and holding a spear, symbolising humility.

Additionally, the Akal Takht Jathedar revoked the title of Fakhr-e-Qaum (Pride of the Nation) previously awarded to former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in recognition of his contributions to the Sikh community.

He had been the first political leader to receive this honor. Parkash Singh Badal is the late father of Sukhbir Singh Badal. Reciting the Sukhmani Sahib, and performing Nitnem (daily Sikh prayers) are other assigned tasks.

The SAD leadership was criticised for its failure to address critical community issues including incidents of sacrilege, police actions in Kotkapura and defending Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

The controversial appointment of Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini, who faced allegations of human rights abuses during Punjab's militancy period, was also one of the criticisms.

Moreover, the Akal Takht directed the withdrawal of all privileges granted to former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, who had controversially pardoned Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, allegedly under the influence of the Badals.