Sukhbir Badal performs 'sewadar' duty at Golden Temple, others clean washrooms
Amritsar, Dec 3: A day after the Sikh clergy pronounced the 'tankhah' (religious punishment) for Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Shiromani Akali Dal leader on Tuesday performed the duty of a 'sewadar' or volunteer outside the Golden Temple here.
Holding a spear in one hand, Badal, in blue 'sewadar' uniform, was at the entrance of the Golden Temple in his wheelchair, serving his punishment. He has a fractured leg.
Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who was also in a wheelchair because of his age, underwent the same punishment, while former Punjab ministers Bikram Singh Majithia and Daljit Singh Cheema washed utensils.
Small boards hung around the necks of Badal and Dhindsa, acknowledging their "misdeeds". Both leaders served as 'sewadar' for one hour.
Pronouncing the 'tankhah' (religious punishment) for 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 serve as a 'sewadar', and wash dishes and clean shoes at the Golden Temple.
Akali leaders including Prem Singh Chandumajra, Daljit Singh Cheema, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Sohan Singh Thandal, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal and Balwinder Singh Bhundar cleaned washrooms of the Golden Temple.
The Sikh clergy had directed several Akali leaders including the rebel ones to clean washrooms at the Golden Temple from 12 noon to 1 pm, and then clean utensils at the community kitchen after taking a bath as a part of religious punishment.
Before the pronouncement of the edict, Sukhbir Badal admitted his mistakes, including pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case during the SAD's rule in Punjab.
The punishment came nearly three months after Sukhbir Badal was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht.
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Challenge ahead is to meet people's expectations: Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai (PTI): BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, all set to become Maharashtra Chief Minister for the third time, on Wednesday underlined the challenges before the new government and said the real struggle lies in fulfilling the people's expectations.
Speaking after being elected as leader of the state BJP legislature party ahead of Thursday's swearing-in ceremony, he also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for placing faith in him.
"Our responsibility has increased. We need to work harder. The struggle ahead is about meeting the expectations people have from us. We must work in tandem with our allies to achieve this," he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party had the people's mandate in 2019 but "it was taken away", he said, apparently referring to the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray severing its ties with the BJP over the chief minister's post and forming government in alliance with the Congress and undivided NCP.
"For the first two and a half years, we faced targeted opposition, but not a single MLA left us. We came to power in 2022, and now, we have achieved a thumping majority in this election," said the 54-year-old politician from Nagpur.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Fadnavis said, "I thank the prime minister for selecting someone like me, who has worked as a party worker, to serve in this role three times. Ek hain to safe hai, aur Modi hain to Mumkin hai (United we are safe, and with Modi, everything is possible)."
The new Mahayuti government of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party would be sworn in at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Thursday following the coalition's landslide victory in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections.
