A day after declaring the State Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia a tankhaiya (apostate) for distorting Gurbani while seeking victory for SAD-BJP combine candidate from Amritsar Arun Jaitley, Takhat Sri Hazur Sahib on Monday accepted his apology and withdrew the hukamnama declaring him tankhahia.
At the same time, the new hukamnama made it clear that Majithia’s apology will only be accepted after he accept the punishment (seva) accorded to him, and as of now, the dictate of tankhaiya stands.
The edict was changed after Majitha tendered an apology to Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism.
Majithia has been declared apostate by Jathedar of Takht Sachkhand Hazur Sahib, one of the five seats of temporal authority in Sikhism, for showing disrespect to the sacred compositions of the Sikh Gurus on Sunday evening.
A major controversy had erupted after Majithia had at an election rally distorted a hymn in Gurbani, compositions of the Sikh gurus and inserted Jaitley’s name to wish his victory.
Instead of saying “nishchay kar apni jeet karu”, he said “nishchay kar Arun Jaitley ki jeet karu” that made several Sikh clerics up in arms against Majithia, who is managing Jaitley’s campaign for the seat where he is locked in a tense electoral contest with former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
The Congress party too had demanded that Majithia be banned from campaigning in the State.