SAD's 'Akhand Path' concludes, Badal refuses to comment on sacrilege issue

A three-day long 'Akhand Path' organised by the SAD concluded Monday.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), led by party patron Parkash Singh Badal, had offered prayers on Saturday at the Akal Takht here, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs, to seek atonement for the "mistakes" it committed "inadvertently" in the past.

On being questioned by media for which mistakes they sought forgiveness, Badal said, "I did not submit any list before the guru. I sought pardon as whatever wrong has been done by me or my men in the past".

"I even seek apology from media if I have ever hurt them in the past," he said.

He said, "I will not talk on any other issue except religion or spirituality.Our party had decided earlier to dedicate three days for 'sewa' in the Golden Temple which were solely for guru (Almighty) and not for any kind of political talk".

Badal refused to comment on sacrilege issue.

For the last two days Badal, his son and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sukhbir's wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Bikram Majithia and other leaders were taking part in 'Ardas' (prayers) at the Akal Takht.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had ridiculed the opposition party for indulging in "political theatrics" in the name of religion with their "farcical" display of regret over the "misdeeds" committed during their 10-years of misrule.

The SAD had faced severe criticism over several incidents pertaining to desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and following police firing incidents in 2015 that had taken place during the SAD-BJP regime.

The party was also eye of storm over the issue of granting pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case, which was later withdrawn by Akal Takht.