Chandigarh: Punjab’s Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) apologised to Sikhs Thursday for its failure to stop multiple incidents of sacrilege eight years ago, the repercussions of which ultimately toppled the party from power.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal sought “unconditional forgiveness” at an event in the Golden Temple in Amritsar – a move seen as an attempt to bring the beleaguered party back into political reckoning before the Lok Sabha elections next year.
The incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib had taken place in 2015, when Sukhbir’s father, the late Parkash Singh Badal, was chief minister, and he the deputy. The Guru Granth Sahib is considered to be a living Guru by Sikhs.
At the temple to commemorate the 103rd Foundation Day of Akali Dal, Badal said: “I bow my head before you and seek forgiveness with folded hands. I am standing in front of the Shri Akal Takht Sahib and I apologise to the Guru and to the Sikh community. Please forgive us… the incidents of sacrilege happened during the rule of a panthic party and it shouldn’t have.”
Sukhbir Badal was also the home minister at that time, and was perceived to be directly responsible for culprits going scot free. The Akali government had handed over the probe to the CBI, which Badal said Thursday he was forced to do.
Badal also shared a clip of his apology on social media platform X, where he can be seen addressing people with folded hands. He seeks forgiveness “from the Khalsa Panth that the heinous act of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji happened during the Akali government”.
He also apologised for not being able to “apprehend and punish the culprits during the brief remaining part of our tenure”.
“I am very sad that we couldn’t understand and defeat the conspiracies of some so called Panthic individuals and organisations and allowed them to compel us to handover the probe to the CBI.”
Submitting myself to the Guru's will in the precinct of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the highest religio-temporal seat of the Sikh quom, I sincerely and unconditionally seek forgiveness of the Khalsa Panth that heinous act of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji happened during Akali… pic.twitter.com/3mKoP4tDmf
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) December 14, 2023
The sacrilege incidents led to many protests across the state by Sikh organisations, which demanded justice. Two people were killed in police firing at village Behbal Kalan during one such protest.
The incidents and police firing snowballed into a huge political controversy that finally saw the decimation of the Akalis in the 2017 assembly elections after having ruled the state for 10 consecutive years. The party has remained in political wilderness ever since, while splitting into factions. In the 2022 assembly elections, the SAD managed to win only three seats.
Punjab Chief Minister and Aam aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann later appeared dismissive of Badal’s apology. “You can say sorry for a mistake but not a crime,” he told reporters in Hoshiarpur.
‘Only played politics’
Badal also said he and his government had failed to understand the gravity of the situation and act accordingly. He added: “It is unfortunate that successive governments also did not do anything to bring the culprits to book. They only played politics over the issue, using it to hit out at Akalis whenever they wanted.”
I fervently appeal to all those who may have left Shiromani Akali Dal for whatever reason including any possible mistake or injustice committed against them by anyone including me or Badal sahab or by anyone else in the party. Only a united Khalsa Panth under a united Akali flag… pic.twitter.com/mSBRUG894N
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) December 14, 2023
On Thursday, Badal also reached out to former partymen who have left, “for whatever reasons”, including any injustice committed against them by him or his father.
He told them only “a united Khalsa Panth under a united Akali flag” could defeat the challenges by enemies of the panth and Punjab.
“I appeal to all of you to respond to my appeal for a homecoming,” Badal added.
Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa said Badal was attempting to reclaim “lost ground”.
“The real traits of the Badals have already been exposed,” Bajwa said on X. “The people of Punjab wouldn’t accept his apology now. Sukhbir Singh Badal should also have told the Sikh Sangat about who ordered the police to fire on the peacefully protesting Sikhs in Behbal Kalan village of Kotkapura. In this incident, two Sikh youths were killed,” he added. “In order to please the Dera Sacha Sauda head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim and his followers, the SAD (B) didn’t get the sacrilege cases investigated properly.”
This report has been updated with additional information
Edited by Tikli Basu.