Akal Takht pronounces religious punishment to former Akali minister Sekhon

AMRITSAR: Holding former Akali minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon as guilty of religious misconduct (tankhaiya), the Sikh high priests on Friday pronounced five-day-long religious atonement on him. He was held guilty of taking help from Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda ahead of the Punjab assembly elections and violating the 2007 edict of the Akal Takht directing no contact with the sect.
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said on Friday that the priests had directed Sekhon to clean shoes, wash utensils and sweep parikarma (circumambulation) for one hour each at Gurdwara Jamni Sahib in Bajidpur village of Ferozepur district.
He has also been directed to clean shoes, perform ‘chhabeel’ service, listen to kirtan for one hour each for two days at the Golden Temple. Following this he is to offer a ‘degh’ of Rs 501 and give an offering of Rs 5,100 and perform the prayer of forgiveness at Akal Takht.
On April 17, the Sikh clergy had pronounced atonement upon 39 out of 44 Sikh leaders, including ‘patit’ (apostate) and ‘sabat surat’ (with unshorn hair) belonging to SAD, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who appeared before the Akal Takht. They were all found guilty of religious misconduct in same context.
Four Sikh leaders, including former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhathal, Ajaib Singh Bhatti and Arjan Singh (all from the Congress) and Janmeja had not appeared before the high priests.