In the letter, the leaders sought forgiveness for the “four mistakes” committed 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.
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.
Due to this, the SAD faced “failures” not only on the religious front but also suffered from people’s apathy in the political field, the leaders said.
A section of senior party leaders have revolted against SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, demanding that he resign as party chief following its debacle in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Prominent rebel leaders include 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 contested before the jathedar of Akal Takht.
Referring to the incidents of sacrilege, the leaders said the then Akali government could not ensure punishment of the culprits, while stressing 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 get the culprits punished, the letter states.
This led to the situation in Punjab worsening and tragic incidents in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, he said.
“The Shiromani Akali Dal government could not 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 October 2015, in a police shootout, two people were killed in Behbal Kalan and others were injured in Kotkapura, Faridkot.
The letter also mentions the blasphemy case registered in 2007 against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief for allegedly imitating the tenth Sikh master, 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 dropped 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 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). You can call the then jathedar of Sri Akal Takht and ask for clarification,” the leaders said in the letter.
“But the leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiromani Committee had to go back on this decision considering the anger and resentment of the Sikh Panth,” he said.
In 2015, the 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. PTI SUN VSD RHL
This report is automatically generated by news service PTI. ThePrint assumes no responsibility for its content.
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