Rebel leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal appeared before the jathedar of Akal Takht on Monday and apologised for “mistakes” committed when their party was in power in the state.
The apology letter was handed over to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at the Akal Takht Secretariat at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Akal Takht is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.
In the letter, the Leaders apologized for the “four mistakes” during the erstwhile SAD regime between 2007 and 2017, including failure to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2007 blasphemy case.
They also blamed SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was then Deputy Chief Minister, for the “mistakes”.
The rebel leaders said the Sikh Panth and the people of Punjab had turned away from the Akali Dal due to these “mistakes”, while asserting that they were ready to face any punishment in accordance with Sikh principles.
Because of this, the SAD faced “failures” not only on the religious front but also suffered from popular apathy in the political arena, the rebel leaders said, although they acknowledged that they also remained part of the party leadership as these events unfolded.
Reacting to Badal’s apology in 2023 for failing to nab the culprits involved in the sacrilege incidents, rebel leaders recently said the pardon sought by the SAD chief was neither from the Akal Takht nor did it follow the rites and rituals of Sikh principles.
A section of senior party leaders have revolted against Badal, demanding that he resign as party chief following his debacle in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.
Recently, the rebel leaders decided to launch the ‘Akali Dal Bachao Lehar’ and sought the removal of Sukhbir Badal as SAD president.
Among the prominent leaders who have raised a flag of rebellion are former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, former legislator Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and party leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur, all of whom have appeared before the jathedar of Akal Takht.
The letter also referred to the 2015 sacrilege incidents and said that the then Akali government could not ensure punishment of the culprits in such cases. The sacrilege incidents triggered outrage in the Sikh panth, the letter said.
But the (then) Shiromani Akali Dal government and the then Home Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and President Shiromani Akali Dal, failed to investigate this matter in a timely manner or ensure that the culprits were punished, he alleged.
As a result, the situation worsened in Punjab and tragic incidents occurred in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, he said.
The Shiromani Akali Dal government could not hold any official responsible for these incidents, he said.
Incidents involving the theft of a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up of sacrilegious hand-written posters and finding torn pages of the holy book scattered in Bargari took place in Faridkot in 2015.
These incidents led to protests in Faridkot. In October 2015, when police fired on protesters, two people were killed in Behbal Kalan and several others were injured in Kotkapura in Faridkot.
The letter also mentions the 2007 blasphemy case that was registered against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly imitating the tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh at Salabatpura in 2007.
“Instead of taking further steps to punish the individual, the SAD government withdrew this case,” the letter states.
In 2021, Badal claimed that the SAD government had never withdrawn the blasphemy complaint against the Dera chief, who is currently incarcerated in a Haryana jail. Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two female disciples.
The letter also claimed that Badal allegedly used his influence to ensure that the Dera chief was pardoned in the blasphemy case.
“But the leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiromani Committee (SGPC) had to retract this decision considering the anger and resentment of the Sikh Panth,” he said.
In 2015, the Akal Takht pardoned the Dera chief in the blasphemy case based on a written apology. However, bowing to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, it reversed its decision.
The rebel leaders also criticised the then Akali government for appointing Sumedh Singh Saini as the director general of police and accused him of not fulfilling his promise of forming a commission to probe the “fake police encounters”.
“Due to this and other similar events, the Sikh Panth became angry and disappointed with the leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal. As a result of this, its position in the political and religious spheres became weaker,” the letter said.
“We also acknowledge that we could not stop the wrong approach of the Akali Dal and SGPC leadership, despite repeatedly raising these painful issues within the party,” he added.
The leaders said they had urged the party leadership to appear before the Akal Takht, repent for their “mistakes” and express remorse in accordance with the “Gurmat maryada” (religious code of ethics), but their appeal was rejected.
“As part of the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership at that time, we felt a burden on our minds. That is why we have come to you to apologise for the mistakes through this letter,” the leaders said.
“We are ready to accept any punishment given by the Akal Takht as per the ‘Gurmat’ tradition for these mistakes so that we can be relieved of this burden,” he added.
After the meeting with the jathedar, the leaders offered prayers standing in front of the Akal Takht and sought forgiveness.
Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, the rebel leaders expressed their commitment to revive the SAD and serve the panth.
On Monday morning, some rebel leaders went to the Amritsar home of Khadoor Sahib MP-elect Amritpal Singh and met his parents.
Radical preacher Amritpal is yet to take the oath as he is in an Assam jail, detained under the National Security Act.
