CHANDIGARH: The Akal Takht (highest temporal body of Sikhs) has barred the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Sukhbir Singh Badal, from participating in any political activity including campaigning for the party in the upcoming assembly by-elections for four seats, dashing his hopes of contesting the Gidderbaha by-poll, for which the deadline for filing nomination papers is October 25.
Akal Takht Jathedar (High Priest) Giani Raghbir Singh announced that Sukhbir remains guilty of religious misconduct (tankhaiya) until the religious punishment (tankhah) is awarded by the five sikh clergy men (Panj Singh Sahiban). The clergy is expected to meet after Diwali.
Giani Raghbir Singh clarified that Sukhbir cannot partake in public or political engagements until the Sikh clergy formally pronounces his religious punishment and he complies with it.
"No relaxation can be given till a ‘tankhaiya’ takes on ‘tankhah’ successfully," he said.
On August 30, Sukhbir was declared 'tankhaiya' by the highest sikh temporal body for mistakes committed by the SAD-led Government from 2007-17, based on a complaint of its rebel party leaders.
The Sikh clergy is yet to pronounce the punishment for his Sukhbir's atonement.
Recently a delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal led by it working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder, spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler and former minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema besides others had met the Jathedar (High Priest) and sought his nod to let the party contest the bypoll under the leadership of Sukhbir, as they held a closed-door discussion with the Jathedar at his residence in the Golden Temple complex.
Sources claimed that was talk in the political circles that the party was inclined to field Sukhbir from Gidderbaha the same assembly segment his father and Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal had represented for five-consecutive terms from 1969 to 1985.