The Akal Takht Friday declared Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal 'tankhaiya' — guilty of violating the Sikh religious code — for the “mistakes” made by him as deputy chief minister and party chief from 2007 to 2017 and the decisions that he took that “deeply harmed the image of the ‘Panth’ and caused damage to Sikh interests”. The decision to declare Badal 'tankhaiya' was taken by the five high priests of the Akal Takht — the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs. Reading the order, Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, the head priest, asked Badal to appear before the Akal Takht within 15 days to seek apology. “Decisions made during Sukhbir Badal's tenure as deputy chief minister and president SAD since 2007 have negatively impacted SAD and its condition has deteriorated. Sikh interests have been harmed. Sukhbir Badal will remain a 'tankhaiya' until he apologises for his sins,” said Jathedar. The Akal Takht head priest also directed the Sikh leaders, who were part of the Cabinet in the Akali Dal-led governments from 2007 to 2017, to appear in person to submit their written explanation in 15 days. Soon after the declaration, Badal, in a post on X, said, “I humbly bow my head and accept the command issued by the Sri Akal Takht Sahib. I will soon present myself before Sri Akal Takht Sahib to seek forgiveness”. No Sikh can communicate or keep relationship with the one who has been declared 'tankhayia' by Akal Takht. Such person’s excommunication can end only when he or she completes atonement according to the sentence announced by the Akal Takht. Badal joins former President Giani Zail Singh, former Punjab CM Surjit Singh Barnala, and former Union Minister Buta Singh, among other political leaders who were declared 'tankhayia' by the Akal Takht. Most of the political leaders declared tankhayia in the past ended up struggling in their political career. Badal, however, is still the president of the Akali Dal, even though, he had on Thursday appointed senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder as party's working president — a first in party's over a century old history. The Jathedar did not give details of the “mistakes” committed by Badal or his party. However, it was during Badal's tenure as deputy CM that the incidents of theft of a 'bir' of the Guru Ganth Sahib and putting up of handwritten sacrilegious posters took place at Bargari in Faridkot in 2015. In subsequent protests, two persons were killed in police firing — the two incidents later had serious ramifications on Akali Dal, which was reduced to 17 seats in 2017 state polls and further to three in 2022. Earlier, Badal, without mentioning the mistakes, had sought "unconditional forgiveness” and had also submitted his explanation after the Jathedar asked him to appear in person before the Akal Takht following allegations levelled by the party's rebel leaders, who have asked him to step down. On July 1, rebel SAD leaders — including former MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Prem Singh Chadumajra, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, and several other senior leaders — had appeared before the Akal Takht and apologised for the “four mistakes” committed when the party was in power in Punjab between 2007 and 2017. The “mistakes” including the failure to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents, the subsequent police firing at Behbal Kalan on protesters, pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the 2007 blasphemy case, and the appointments of police officers, including Sumedh Singh Saini as Punjab Police chief in 2012.
