Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appeared before the Akal Takht Secretariat after being summoned for alleged remarks on Sikh traditions. He submitted his clarification and expressed respect for the Akal Takht's authority.
Pro-Khalistan slogans were on Friday raised by supporters and activists of radical Sikh outfits at the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, while a peaceful bandh was observed around the Golden Temple and interior walled city on the 41st anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
The head priest of the Akal Takht has justified the killing of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari, saying "nothing wrong has happened" and nobody should listen to obscene songs.
Government Railway Police (GRP) recovered Rs 1.75 crore in cash from two passengers on the Akal Takht Express at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Railway Station in Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh. The passengers, residents of Lucknow, claimed the money was related to their diamond and jewellery business, but police are investigating further.
Till the time Badal does not seek an apology for the mistakes he committed by appearing before the Akal Takht in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, he is declared a 'tankhaiya', the Jathedar said.
After the Akal Takht on Friday declared Sukhbir Singh Badal 'tankhaiya' -- guilty of religious misconduct -- some leaders of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party as well as rebel Akalis called for the Shiromani Akali Dal chief to step down.
They handed the apology letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at the Akal Takht Secretariat at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Akal Takht is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.
Sikh community's highest religious body also 'honoured' 40 Sikh families, whose kin were killed during the 1984 Operation Blue Star.
"Which Sikh in the world does not want it?" Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said
Expressing concern over the "spread of Christianity" in Punjab, Akal Takht jathedar Gyani Harpreet Singh on Monday asserted that "churches and mosques" are being built in numbers in rural parts of the state and urged Sikh preachers to visit villages to promote Sikhism.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also took exception to the jathedar's statement and dubbed it as "mischievous".
Terming the 1984 riots as a "genocide", a meeting of five Sikh high priests convened by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion, said it was "regrettable" that justice could not be delivered to the victims even after 25 years.
Various Sikh leaders on Friday hailed the decision of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion, which annulled its edict of pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda Sect Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said, "conversions of innocent Sikhs into Christianity fold is a direct attack on internal matters of the Sikh community and this is intolerable."
Talking about the earlier two apologies sent by the Dera Sacha Sauda, Vedanti described them as mere 'press notes' and alleged the language used in the text was not proper.
Mediators said the purpose of the move was to avoid any more confrontation between the communities.
The post, which has now been deleted, read, "June 1, 1984'?' 'Saka Neela Tara'. A humble tribute to all the martyrs of the day one of the attack on the Darbar Sahib by the Congress government."
The 62-year-old former deputy chief minister was first elected the party president in 2008. His re-election at the outfit's general delegate session in Amritsar comes barely four months after he quit after he was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht for "mistakes" committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its government from 2007 to 2017.
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The two killers of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were Sunday honoured by Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion, on their 24th death anniversary amid presence of a local Akali leader.
Professor Darshan Singh, former head, Akal Takht, the seat of Sikh religious authority, was the recipient of this year's Lifetime Service Award instituted by the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation in the United States. The Sewa (service) award is given annually to an individual or organisation 'which shows an exemplary work for the betterment of the Sikh community or does some significant thing to create a good name for the Sikhs.'
Emerging from a meeting of Akal Takht in Amritsar, jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti told reporters that "the fresh note received from Dera head neither accepts his sin nor promises not to repeat such act again."
Congregations of Sikhs in Amritsar and in Karnal against the formation of a separate Gurdwara Management Committee in Haryana were called off on Saturday after the Akal Takht's intervention but Haryana Sikhs went ahead with the election of office-bearers for the ad-hoc committee.
Days after he escaped assassination, Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal appeared before the Akal Takht seeking forgiveness -- kshama yachna -- after completing the 10-day tankha (penance for violating the Sikh religious code) at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Friday, December 13, 2024.
Three Sikh men and a woman, convicted of carrying out a revenge attack on Lt Gen Brar for his role as commander of Operation Blue Star in 1984 were on Tuesday sentenced by a British court to between 10 and 14 years in prison.
Joginder Singh Vedanti says he was removed because he supported Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the key trust vote.
Badal's resignation came days after he urged the Akal Takht Jathedar to pronounce his punishment for religious misconduct charges, saying more than two months have passed since he was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct).
Pronouncing 'tankhah' (religious punishment) for Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders for the 'mistakes' committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, the Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht on Monday directed the senior Akali leader to perform as a 'sewadar', and wash dishes and clean shoes at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
He was seen wearing a plaque around his neck while sitting in a wheelchair because of a fractured leg.
The former deputy chief minister, a Z+ protectee, arrived at the Ananadpur Sahib shrine surrounded by security personnel. Dressed in blue 'sewadar' uniform, Badal sat at the entrance of the gurdwara with a spear in one hand.
Two women got "married" at Gurdwara Kalgidhar Sahib in Bathinda district on September 18. Following this, the Akal Takht had then suspended the 'granthis' (sikh priests), the management and the 'ragis' (gurbani exponents) of the gurdwara.
While describing them "martyrs" of Sikh community, the Akal Takht jathedar asked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to install portraits of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Gajinder Singh.
Rebel Akali leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala slammed Badal's move, saying instead of showing "a sense of renunciation", he issued a "dictatorial order" aimed to sideline those who want a "change" for strengthening the party
The man, identified as Narain Singh, was overpowered by some people standing outside the Golden Temple.
Hundreds of Sikh youths, led by the Dal Khalsa, were carrying Khalistani flags and photographs of damaged Akal Takht.
The Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that 348 of the 360 people taken into preventive custody during a police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh have now been freed.
Bakshish Singh, a resident of Talli Gulam village, allegedly tore some pages of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, after entering the premises of the gurdwara in Bandala village, they said.
The rebel leaders met in Jalandhar when SAD chief Badal was holding a meeting with the district presidents and other leaders in Chandigarh to review the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
After Congress MP Rahul Gandhi worshipped at the Golden Temple on Gandhi Jayanti 2023, he again paid obeisance at the shrine and served langar for a second day on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
Can ordinary citizens counter this backward march? Can peace activists ensure that the two communities retain their bonds? Do they have a choice, asks Jyoti Punwani.
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