SAD to repent ‘mistakes’ at Akal Takht on December 14

: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is planning to approach Akal Takht — the highest temporal seat of Sikhs — to seek forgiveness for “inadvertent mistakes” it committed in the past.

The decision is part of a strategy to deal with the tough situation the party is in due to severe criticism from the Panthic circles and voices of revolt from the within.

Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders will accompany Badal Senior to the Akal Takht and seek forgiveness on December 14, which is the foundation day of the party.

Badal Senior is meeting all leaders to build a consensus on the issue. Akali Dal has been pushed to the margins after a series of sacrilege incidents involving Guru Granth Sahib since 2015 when the party was in power.

Later, during the anti-sacrilege protests in Bargari and Kotkapura, police opened fire in which two people were killed, further denting the party’s image. The party lost the assembly polls in 2017 and could win only 15 seats, besides losing the grip over its core Panthic support base.

Now, when the support for ongoing anti-sacrilege protest in Bargari is swelling, it has increased worries of the Akali Dal. The protest had started on June 1.

Another setback came when justice Ranjit Singh panel set up by the Capt Amarinder Singh government to inquire into the sacrilege and firing incidents in Bargari and Kotkapura indicted the top party leadership.

Taksali leaders from Majha — Lok Sabha MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan — have already revolted against the party leadership. Adding to the worries, Number 2 in the party hierarchy, secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, resigned from all party posts.

In 2015, all were not in favour of the party’s decision to seek forgiveness as many thought the move may boomerang. The four rebel stalwarts of the party have already apologised for the mistakes at the Golden Temple.

“Our party now has decided to submit before the Takht, because the concept of accepting mistake and seeking ‘muaafi’ (forgiveness) has a meaning in Sikhism,” said a party leader on condition of anonymity.

“Things are not turning in our favour. Despite the fact that what happened in the past, Akali Dal had no role, but being the ruling party, we must accept the blame,” he adds.

The modalities are being worked out as to how the party would put its case before the temporal seat. Party insiders say appointment of Giani Harpreet Singh as acting jathedar (head priest) of the Akal Takht (replacing Giani Gurbachan Singh) was a step towards party’s seeking forgiveness. “Had the party leaders approached the Takht during Giani Gurbachan’s tenure as Jathedar, who was facing criticism from the Panth, forgiveness would have no meaning,” he revealed.

It needs mention here that in 2015, the then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had offered to seek forgiveness and a letter was drafted in which he had taken the blame of sacrilege being the head of the state and offered to atone. But that never happened.

PARTY LEADERSHIP HAS DECIDED TO SEEK FORGIVENESS AT A TIME WHEN THE BADALSRUN PARTY IS GOING THROUGH A TURMOIL