In a poignant moment during the celebrations of the Shiromani Akali Dal’s foundation day in Amritsar, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday issued an unqualified apology for the failure to apprehend the culprits involved in the 2015 sacrilege cases during their party's government in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The apology comes eight years after the sacrilege incidents rocked the border state of Punjab, also contributing to the SAD’s dismal performance in the 2017 Punjab assembly elections.
Speaking before the Sikh community, Sukhbir expressed deep regret and sorrow for the sacrilege incidents that occurred during their governance. “As the president of the party, I want to offer my sincere apology to the Akal Takht Sahib and the Sikh community. We deeply regret any hurt caused during our governance. We apologize for our failure to arrest the perpetrators and assure that we will ensure the punishment of the real culprits and expose those who politicized this issue,” he said, with folded hands.
“Submitting myself to the Guru's will in the precinct of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the highest religio-temporal seat of the Sikh quom, I sincerely and unconditionally seek forgiveness of the Khalsa Panth that heinous act of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji happened during Akali govt,” he posted on X.
Earlier in 2018, SAD leadership, including former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal, had sought forgiveness from Guru Granth Sahib for mistakes ‘knowingly or unknowingly’ committed during their 10-year rule. However, their statement then faced criticism for not specifically addressing the mistakes made.
On Thursday, Sukhbir admitted that the sacrilege incidents were regrettable and acknowledged the sentiment shared by the public that their government was seen as panthic. He emphasized that he is not afraid to present the state’s case solidly before the Union Government, taking a direct stand against those who had initiated these actions.
“In retrospect, I believe it was a huge blunder to allow some so-called Panthic personalities and organizations to pressurize the government into handing over the probe to the CBI instead of conducting it ourselves. It was only later that their game plan became clear to us but by that time, the probe had already been handed over to the central agency,” he said.
He maintained that he and his father — the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, were deeply aggrieved at their failure to catch, expose, and punish the actual culprits as well as those behind the sacrilege tragedy. “On behalf of Parkash Singh Badal, our party leadership, and workers, we apologize for any mistakes, intentional or unintentional, made during our tenure in government,” he said.
Sukhbir also acknowledged that they should have realized the games that some elements masquerading as Panthic organizations were playing to destabilize the government and permanently sabotage the possibility of a Panthic government in Punjab.
SAD chief urged unity in the Panth under the Akali flag and principles, taking full responsibility for any wrong or injustice done to any Akali worker in the past. At the same time, he vowed to personally ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated, attending to the grievances of every Akali worker and every Punjabi.
Acknowledging the challenges, Sukhbir called for a united and strong Akali Dal, stating that it is a prerequisite for a strong and progressive Punjab.
SAD’s rivals dismiss Sukhbir’s apology as a political maneuver
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s apology for the party's failure to arrest the culprits behind the 2015 sacrilege incidents has drawn sharp criticism from rival political leaders, who view the move as a strategic political maneuver rather than a sincere act of remorse.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann dismissed it as a ‘politically driven apology’ with no real substance. Mann asserted that mistakes might be pardonable, but crimes are not.
He emphasized that the people of Punjab would never forgive the Badal family for what he described as their “grave sins against the state and its people”. Mann accused the Badal family of misusing their power for personal interests, jeopardizing the interests of the state.
Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also rejected Sukhbir’s apology, considering it a futile attempt to reclaim lost ground. He asserted that Sukhbir’s move was driven by a desire to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and criticized him for not caring about the Sikh Sangat.
“The real traits of the Badals have already been exposed. The people of Punjab wouldn't accept his apology now. SAD remained in power for around 16 months after the sacrilege cases, yet it deliberately failed to take any action. Now he (Sukhbir Badal) has been seeking forgiveness after nine years in vain,” said Bajwa.
Bajwa also questioned why Sukhbir did not reveal who ordered the police to fire on peacefully protesting Sikhs in Behbal Kalan village, resulting in the deaths of two Sikh youths. He criticized the Badal government for registering an FIR against unidentified police personnel, stressing that the opposition leader should explain these actions as well.
In another strong response, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker and senior AAP leader Kultar Singh Sandhwan called Sukhbir’s apology a desperate act driven by the near-extinct SAD's political compulsions.
Sandhwan emphasized that seeking pardon is for mistakes committed in ignorance, not for willfully committing treason and betrayal with the Guru.
He asserted that Sukhbir's apology holds no weight in the eyes and hearts of the Sikh Sangat, considering the unpardonable acts perpetrated by the SAD regime against the Sikh community. At the same time, he challenged Sukhbir to explain and seek pardon for acts such as spraying bullets on Guru's Sikhs seeking justice peacefully at Kotkapura and the killing of Sikh activists demanding justice for the Guru.
