Sukhbir Badal Given Toilet Cleaning Punishment By Akal Takht for 2015 Sacrilege Case

The highest Sikh temporal body, Akal Takht, has handed out a unique form of punishment to Sukhbir Badal, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, for his role in the 2015 sacrilege case. Badal, who was held guilty of favoring Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, has been sentenced to clean the kitchens and bathrooms of various Gurdwaras, including the revered Golden Temple in Amritsar. The sentence comes after a public apology from Badal, where he admitted his mistakes and sought forgiveness for his actions.

The Akal Takht's decision forms part of a larger exercise to tackle the controversy surrounding the sacrilege incidents of 2015, which saw the whole of Punjab go up in flames. Badal and other seniors of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had been accused of misusing political influence to pardon Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who had indulged in acts that were in complete disarray with the Sikh faith, such as dressing like a Sikh Guru. The pardon issued under the SAD-led government was followed by violent clashes between the Dera followers and Sikhs, increasing tension in the state.

Sukhbir Badal and other important members of the SAD will sweep the Golden Temple on December 3, 2024, as a symbolic act of atonement. Although he is wheelchair-bound, Badal is expected to undergo this religious punishment from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. Thereafter, he and his colleagues will take a ritual bath and serve langar as part of the cleansing process.

This ruling follows Badal who was declared "tankhaiya" by Akal Takht in August 2024, a declaration of guilt to religious misconduct. This marked a pivotal moment for Sikh religious and political dynamics - the reprimand did not only target what Badal had done but also aimed to address religious mistakes committed during the previous Punjab government.

This is a message for the political leaders on maintaining accountability toward the safeguarding of religious values. With Sukhbir Badal publicly repenting, his father, former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, has had the prestigious Fakhr-e-Qaum award stripped away, which he was honored with in 2011 for services rendered to the Sikh community.

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