Amritsar, Oct 23 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal will not get any temporary relief with Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Wednesday saying someone guilty of religious misconduct remains one until punishment is awarded.
The jathehdar told reporters that according to Sikh religious tenets, if somebody has been once declared ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht, he would remain so unless he undergoes punishment awarded by the five Sikh head priests.
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, on August 30 had declared Badal ‘tankhaiya’ for the “mistakes” committed by his party and the SAD government from 2007 to 2017.
The jathedar’s statement came a day after a delegation of the SAD met and urged him to exempt Badal and allow him to lead the party’s poll campaign for the November 13 bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab.
The bypolls to the assembly seats of Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala were necessitated after the MLAs representing them were elected to Lok Sabha.
The SAD is yet to name its candidates for the bypolls.
The jathedar said a delegation of SAD led by working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar met him on Tuesday evening.
Asked when the Akal Takht would decide the case of Badal to award him ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment), Giani Raghbir Singh said it will be decided in a meeting after the Diwali festival.
A delegation of SAD led by Bhundar, chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler and former ministers Daljit Singh Cheema, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Janmeja Singh Sekhon met the jathedar on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile, the SAD has convened an emergency meeting of its working committee and district presidents on October 24 in Chandigarh.
“The current political situation will be discussed in detail in the meeting. It will be presided over by working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar,” said party leader Cheema. PTI JMS CHS KSS KSS
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