Dera Sacha Sauda visit: Sikh politicos asked to appear before

The Akal Takht today said the visit of Sikh political leaders to Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in the run up to the Assembly polls was against "Sikh ethics and customs" and asked them to appear before it on April 17.
Akal Takht head Gurbachan Singh issued an edict asking Sikh activists of various political parties to appear before the highest Sikh temporal seat and submit clarifications on their visits to Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh-headed Dera, which has been boycotted by the Takht.
He said during campaign ahead of Punjab Assembly polls, members of various political outfits had visited the headquarter of Dera Sacha Sauda and sought support and blessings of Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh.

"Such an act by community members was against Sikh ethics and customs," the Akal Takht head said.
Since the head of the sect was held guilty by the Akal Takht for various blasphemous acts which had hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community, members (particularly Sikhs) of Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were asked to appear before the seat, he said.
"These members being Sikh should not have visited that sect's headquarters especially when the community was asked by the Akal Takht to boycott alleged tainted sect," he said.

SAD members Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, Sikander Singh Maluka, Janmeja Singh Shekon, Dilraj Singh Bhunder, Parkash Singh Bhatti, Kawaljit Singh Roji Barkandi, Parrminder Singh Dhindsa, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Nishan Singh Budlada, Mantar Singh Brar, Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, Ranjit Singh Talwandi, Gobind Singh Longowal and Manpreet Singh Ayali were asked to appear before the seat to give clarification.

From Congress, Arjan Singh, son of Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Randip Singh Nabha, Darshan Singh Brar, Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, Sadhu Singh Dharmsot, Karan Kaur Brar, Kushbaj Singh Jatana, Rajinder Singh Samana and Daman Kaur Bajwa.
AAP leader Narinder Singh Sandha has also been asked to appear before the Takht.
Haryana Sikh Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (HSGPC) head Jagdish Singh Jhinda, who was ex-communicated from Akal Takht on July 16, 2014 through an edict, today again appeared before the top temporal seat.
After listening Jhinda, the Akal Takht head awarded him religious atonement by dusting shoes of devotees and listening to Sikh hymns and recitation of Sikh religious scripture besides washing and cleaning of utensils in the community kitchen of Gurdwara.