Senior SAD (B) leader suspects RSS-BJP pressure behind ‘delay’ in Akal Takht punishment for Sukhbir Badal | Chandigarh News
Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) spokesman and former MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha has expressed the doubt as to whether Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedars have been under the influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP, attributing such external influence to “the delay in punishing” Sukhbir Singh Badal after the Jathedars declared him guilty of religious misconduct.
Badal, president of the SAD(B), was declared “tankhayia” on August 30. However, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has not pronounced his religious sentence for him. After remaining away from public activities for a month, Badal resumed his political activities last week. His opponents termed this as a violation of the Akal Takht decision as he is supposed not to participate in public activities till he completes his atonement.
“I never thought that the conspiracies and plans of anti-Sikh forces, always aiming to weaken the Shiromani Akali Dal, would reach the extent of affecting our respected institutions that lead the Sikh community. Concerns about this have become a topic of discussion and worry for people like me and many others. May Waheguru prove my doubts wrong, as these institutions are a symbol of the pride and honour of Sikhs,” Valtoha wrote on Facebook.
In his post, Valtoha also included pictures of the BJP flag and RSS volunteers marching past.
Screenshot of Virsa Singh Valtoha’s Facebook post
“In recent days, I shared my concerns through a Facebook post asking why there is such a delay in punishing Sukhbir Singh Badal after the Jathedars declared him a ‘tankhaiya’ (one guilty of religious misconduct)? After my Facebook post, the information that reached me was quite alarming and distressing. Following my initial post, some close associates of our respected Jathedars, who are also sympathisers of the Shiromani Akali Dal, contacted me and shared some serious and concerning information,” he wrote.
Valtoha claimed that his sources told him that there was immense internal pressure on the Jathedars not only to pronounce the religious punishment for Badal but also to render the SAD leaderless.
“According to these sources, those exerting pressure concerning Sukhbir Singh Badal and the Shiromani Akali Dal include not only the central government, BJP and RSS, but also some individuals who, despite their Sikh identity, have always been opponents of the Akali Dal, both within the country and abroad. When I listen to discussions about the historical context and the current situation, it causes great concern,” Valtoha wrote.
“Historically, the Sri Akal Takht Sahib has always clashed head-on with the Delhi throne. However, the latest information and rumours suggest that some of our respected figures seem to be yielding to the influence of the Delhi throne, which is a matter of extreme worry. I am sharing this truth with the community so that the general public can be aware of the facts. On one hand, false and misleading propaganda has created a common perception among the people that the Jathedars act according to Sukhbir Singh Badal and the Shiromani Akali Dal Badal,” Valtoha further wrote.
“But the truth is that we have had to repeatedly plead with the Jathedars not to delay the decision to issue a religious punishment or reprimand Sukhbir Singh Badal from the Sri Akal Takht Sahib any longer. I humbly request the Jathedars to remain unbiased and, according to the dignity of the true Takht, deliver the strictest possible religious punishment or reprimand to Sukhbir Singh Badal as soon as possible so that the ongoing rumours can be put to rest,” Valtoha added.
“The Jathedars are respected by all of us. We all wish for the Jathedars to uphold Sikh principles fearlessly and lead the community so that the Sikh community can emerge from its current challenges,” the SAD spokesman said.
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