Akal Takht annulls edict pardoning Dera chief

Five high priests of Sikhs have taken back the decision on Friday to pardon Dera Sacha Sauda Head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Notably Jathedars had announced pardon to Dera Sauda Sirsa chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim on September 24, 2015 for his 2007 blasphemous activities. Sources said the Akal Takht jathedar “persuaded” Gurmukh Singh against resigning from his post in protest against the exoneration of dera head and killing of two Sikhs in clashes with police in Faridkot district on Wednesday.

The Akal Takht had pardoned the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda Sect on the basis of a written apology sent by him through his messenger.

An emergency meeting was called at Akal Takht to discuss the issue in view of the growing resentment among Sikhs over the grant of pardon to the Dera chief on the charge of wearing attire similar to that of Guru Gobind Singh.

The Sikh community, hardliners, and various other outfits were upset at the Akal Takht’s move pardoning the Dera chief without him making a personal appearance before the temporal seat of the Sikhs. Sect Chief in his apology letter said that he never compared himself with any spiritual master or religious Saint, hence to copy the personality of any great saint could never be dared.

However, in the absence of any written rules and regulations, many times the Jathedar of Akal Takht “succumbs” to political pressure to take such decisions which were against the Sikh “maryada” (code of conduct). Since as per Sikh rituals and norms of Akal Takhat, any person committed guilt as per Sikh rituals could never be pardoned unless he appeared physically before the Akal Takhat being a humble person.