Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has demanded that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann be booked under the new anti-sacrilege law introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in May this year. The demand comes after the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs, declared Mann a ‘Guru Dokhi’ (betrayer of the Guru).
Badal Calls Emergency Meeting After Akal Takht’s Declaration
Badal called an emergency core committee meeting at the party office today to discuss the situation. He said that besides alleged sacrilege, Mann had also committed an extremely profane act by challenging the authority of the Akal Takht.
According to The Hindu, the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj stated, "A position of Chief Minister is respectable; but Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh (Mann) lied at the Akal Takht (about the video)."
Badal’s Statement on the Alleged Attack on Akal Takht
Badal described the situation as a very serious issue and the biggest attack by the ruling AAP government on Akal Takht Sahib. He emphasized that every Sikh is liable to abide by the directions of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
"It is a very serious issue and the biggest attack by the ruling AAP government on Akal Takht Sahib. Every Sikh is liable to abide by the directions of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. We have called an emergency meeting to discuss the developing situation. After what has transpired, Mann has no moral authority left to remain CM. Mann should be booked under the same law..." — The Hindu
Our Take: A Political Crisis with Religious Overtones
This is a significant escalation in Punjab politics. The Akal Takht’s declaration of a sitting Chief Minister as ‘Guru Dokhi’ is unprecedented and carries immense weight within the Sikh community. Badal’s demand to book Mann under the very anti-sacrilege law the AAP government itself created is a sharp political move. It puts the AAP government in a difficult position — either it acts against its own Chief Minister, or it risks being seen as ignoring the Akal Takht’s authority. In our view, this is not just a legal matter; it is a test of how the state government balances political power with religious institutions. The coming days will be crucial in determining the stability of the Mann government.