NEW DELHI: On the sixth day of his religious penance, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, wheelchair-bound and dressed in the blue ‘sewadar’ uniform, continued his service at the Fatehgarh Sahib gurdwara. Despite being a Z+ security protectee, Badal performed the duties of a ‘sewadar’ – serving the community outside the gurdwara and listening to kirtan, while also washing dishes in the community kitchen.
Badal, who was surrounded by a heavy security presence, sat at the entrance of the gurdwara from 9 am for an hour. This penance follows a religious punishment ordered by the Akal Takht for “religious misconduct” during his tenure as the deputy chief minister of Punjab between 2007 and 2017. The Akal Takht has directed Badal to perform similar duties at prominent gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib, and Darbar Sahib in Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib.
On December 4, during his penance at the Golden Temple, Badal survived an assassination attempt when former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singh Chaura fired at him but missed.
In another development, rebel Akali leader Sikandar Singh Maluka visited Badal while he was engaged in his ‘sewadar’ duties, signaling potential political discussions amid the ongoing penance.
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