Punjab byelections: Akal Takht dashes Sukhbir’s plans of leading SAD campaign

Sukhbir Singh Badal’s plans to lead the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) campaign in the November 13 assembly byelections in Dera Baba Nanak, Barnala, Chabbewal (SC) and Gidderbaha came a cropper with Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh saying on Wednesday that a tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) remains one until the tankhah (religious punishment) is not awarded by the Panj Singh Sahiban (five Sikh clergymen). The clergy is expected to meet after Bandi Chhod Diwas (Diwali).
Sukhbir was declared tankhaiya by the highest Sikh temporal seat on August 30 for mistakes committed by the SAD-led government from 2007-17 on the complaint of its rebel party leaders. The Sikh clergy is yet to pronounce the punishment for Sukhbir’s “atonement”.
Senior SAD members, led by working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder, met Giani Raghbir Singh at his residence in the Golden Temple complex on Tuesday and urged him to exempt Sukhbir so that he could campaign for the byelections. Sukhbir was also expected to contest from Gidderbaha constituency.
Bhunder informed the jathedar that the SAD wanted to contest all four constituencies and needed its president to play an active role. However, a day later, Giani Raghbir Singh said, “This issue will be discussed and decided at the meeting of the Singh Sahiban. A tankhaiya Sikh remains one until he is not awarded tankhah by the Panj Singh Sahiban from the faseel (platform) of Akal Takht Sahib.”
Responding to a query on the SAD’s allegations that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP-RSS were putting pressure on Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee members to persuade them to support Jagir Kaur in the SGPC presidential elections on October 28, the jathedar said, “Such allegations surface every year during the elections, but the government should not meddle into the affairs of the SGPC, which is a religious organisation of the Sikhs. The SGPC should be allowed to work in its own way.”
After the meeting with the jathedar on Tuesday, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said, “It’s been two months since the SAD president was declared tankhaiya. Since then, he has been spending time at home and avoiding public engagements. But now the bypolls are nearing and we want Sukhbir to lead the party’s charge.”
“People from Gidderbaha have been thronging Sukhbir’s residence, urging him to lead the SAD campaign. We are strong in all four constituencies, and our workers want us to contest all four seats and Sukhbir to lead us,” he said.
According to sources, the meeting of the Sikh clergy is unlikely before Bandi Chhod Diwas on November 1. The last date for filing nominations is October 25.
Being a tankhaiya, Sukhbir cannot take part in public activities of the SAD nor can he lead it during the elections, though he attended the party events a few days ago and his public activities were objected to by rebel leaders. Hours after the core committee meeting of the SAD in Chandigarh, senior leaders approached the jathedar, urging him to exempt Sukhbir so that he could take part in the bypolls.