Amritsar: Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Thursday repeating his statement once again said that the President of the Party (SAD) can’t be allowed to contest the bypolls being held in four assembly seats in the State.
Jathedar in a video released to media here on Thursday said that there was no any such restriction to contest bypoll for the party was imposed from Akal Takht. He said that the party’s members can contest elections from anywhere or can take part in the ongoing elections activities in Punjab. He said different political parties fielding their candidates in the elections and SAD can also take part in the process.
At the same time he made it clear while repeating his Wednesday statement that in the light of present circumstances, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal cannot be allowed to take part in any of the four assembly seats in Punjab since he was declared Tankhaiya from the Akal Takht. He said the party can take part in the elections in Punjab.
However, on Wednesday, Jatehdar had said Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal will not get any temporary relief with Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Wednesday saying someone guilty of religious misconduct remains one until punishment is awarded.
The jathehdar told that according to Sikh religious tenets, if somebody has been once declared ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht, he would remain so unless he undergoes punishment awarded by the five Sikh head priests.
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, on August 30 had declared Badal ‘tankhaiya’ for the “mistakes” committed by his party and the SAD government from 2007 to 2017.
The jathedar’s statement came a day after a delegation of the SAD met and urged him to exempt Badal and allow him to lead the party’s poll campaign for the November 13 bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab.
The bypolls to the assembly seats of “Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala were necessitated after the MLAs representing them were elected to Lok Sabha.
Asked when the Akal Takht would decide the case of Badal to award him ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment), Giani Raghbir Singh said it will be decided in a meeting after the Diwali festival.
A delegation of SAD led by Bhundar, chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler and former ministers Daljit Singh Cheema, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Janmeja Singh Sekhon met the Jathedar on Tuesday evening.
