Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia has been declared 'Tankhaiya' (apostate) by the Jathedar of Takht Sachkhand Hazur Sahib, one of the five seats of Temporal authority in Sikhism, for distorting the Gurbani while seeking victory for BJP's Amritsar candidate Arun Jaitley.
"Yes, Majithia has been declared 'Tankhaiya' for showing disrespect to the sacred compositions of the Sikh Gurus," sources at the Takht at Nanded, where Sikhism's 10th guru Gobind Singh had breathed his last, said today.
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.
This had 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 Amrinder Singh. The Congress too had demanded that Majithia be banned from campaigning in the state.
A 'Hukamnama' (edict) holding Majithia guilty of religious misconduct was issued yesterday.
The minister had later tendered an apology to Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism.
Majithia would be required to appear before Sikh priests at the Takht following which religious atonement would be pronounced upon him, sources said.
