IN A major setback to the Dera Sacha Sauda, many Sikh politicians from Punjab, found guilty by the SGPC of approaching Dera Sacha Sauda to seek votes before the Assembly polls, surrendered before the Akal Takht Monday and agreed to face religious punishment. In 2007, the Akal Takht had issued an edict for Sikhs to boycott Dera Sacha Sauda. On April 4 this year, the Akal Takht had summoned several Sikh politicians for violating the edict by seeking votes from Dera Sacha Sauda followers. The Akal Takht had summoned 44 politicians based on a probe report submitted by the SGPC. The probe had found 29 politicians from SAD (Badal), 14 from the Congress and one from AAP guilty. Many of these leaders, except former SAD cabinet minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Congress), Congress MLA Ajaib Singh Bhatti and Arjun Badal (son of finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal), appeared before the Akal Takht and accepted the religious sentence. Meanwhile, Congress leaders also submitted a memorandum to the Akal Takht seeking action against former Punjab chief minister prakash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for demanding votes from Dera Sacha Sauda during 2017 assembly elections. Both were not found guilty as per the SGPC probe report. The Dera Sacha Sauda had announced its support to SAD for the Assembly elections. The dera had supported the Congress in the 2007 Assembly elections. The Congress had lost the 2007 elections and SAD lost in 2017. In 2012, the dera had not made any public announcement regarding its support. Then, Captain Amarinder Singh had openly asked for dera votes and the Congress had lost that election, too. Sikh politicians not keeping their hair unshorn were also summoned at Akal Takht for violation of edict. As many as 21 politicians who don’t keep hair unshorn were asked to clean the heritage road leading to the Golden Temple in Amritsar as a group activity. All these leaders will also perform volunteer services such as cleaning utensils, cleaning shoes and cleaning the floor inside Golden temple for one day. They will also have to organise Akhand Path of Guru Granth Sahib. Those not keeping hair unshorn have been asked to perform similar volunteer services for 10 days at any gurdwara in their constituency. SAD candidate Manpreet Singh Ayali contested that he never asked for votes from Dera Sacha Sauda and submitted proof in this regard. The Akal Takht found his submission “considerable” but he was also asked to present parshad at the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht has asked absentees to appear at Akal Takht during the next meeting of Jathedars. ‘Politicians should be exempted from edict’ Congress MLA from Gidderbaha Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has said politicians should be allowed to visit every segment of society to seek votes. “Politicians should be exempted from the edict that stops Sikhs from having any interaction with Dera Sacha Sauda,” said Warring. He said, “When we came to know that Akal Takht has summoned us, we didn’t think twice from appearing. Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh also instructed us to appear at Akal Takht. All of us have huge respect for Akal Takht.”
