Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday apologised by performing sewa at the Golden Temple for ‘gaffes’ committed by his party, including equating party’s youth manifesto with Guru Granth Sahib and printing its symbol ‘broom’ on document’s cover alongside a picture of the holiest Sikh shrine.
Kejriwal, accompanied by senior party leadership including State party convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, party’s State affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh, senior leader HS Phoolka, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann and party spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira, performed sewa (service) by washing utensils at the langar ghar (community kitchen) for 45 minutes.
“While releasing the manifesto, we inadvertently made some mistakes. To repent for those mistakes, we performed sewa today. We also paid obeisance at the Golden Temple. We felt at peace after performing sewa,” said Kejriwal after spending around two hours inside the shrine. AAP’s national spokesperson Ashish Khetan, who equated the manifesto with the Guru Granth Sahib in his speech during the release function on July 3, also performed sewa along with Kejriwal.
Kejriwal reached the Golden Temple around 3:50 am amid tight security cover. Punjab Police teams deployed at the Golden Temple Plaza immediately took him in their security ring and kept him under cover right through his visit.
After entering the shrine from the main gate, Kejriwal went to langar ghar and started washing utensils. He then went to the parikarma and sat for 30 minutes with party leaders and workers before heading to pay obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum about 5 am. He and the party leaders chose to go inside the sanctum sanctorum like ordinary pilgrims and did not opt for the VIP entry that is normally used by high profile visitors.
AAP, which has been aggressively campaigning for Punjab Assembly polls due next year, courted controversy after the release of its youth manifesto in which the front page displayed the picture of party symbol broom along with that of Golden Temple that irked various Sikh religious and political outfits which demanded apology from Kejriwal.