In an important decision, the Akal Takht on Friday revoked the pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2007 Blasphemy case.
The Akal Takht Jathedar on Friday said the hukumnama pardoning the Dera chief on September 24 stood withdrawn as it had invited severe criticism and was not accepted by Panth.
The Akal Takht that took this decision in a meeting of jathedars of five takhats had granted pardon to the dera head on September 24. The pardon was granted after the dera chief had sent an apology letter to the Akal Takht.
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.
Fearing a violent reaction from Sikh activists and students of various educational institutions, the SGPC also postponed the scheduled executive committee meeting.
Meanwhile, two executive committee members, Mangal Singh and Bhajan Singh Shergill, have demanded the resignation of the five head priests for “hurting the sentiments of the community by issuing the edict” in favour of the Dera chief.
Earlier, SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and executive member Karnail Singh Panjoli had expressed their resentment over the pardon.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar blamed the Kotkapura administration and the intelligence wing of the Punjab Police for the incidents of violence at Bargadi and the law and order problem in the state.
The recent developments regarding the Dera and the subsequent desecration of a ‘bir’ or Guru Granth Sahib and the death of two protesters in police firing have triggered a strong reaction among Sikhs in Punjab as well as abroad.
The Shiromani Akali Dal leadership had been accused of having engineered the ‘pardon’ to the Dera chief for electoral gains from the followers of the Sirsa-based sect.