Amritsar: Yielding to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, the Akal Takht; supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, has annulled its edict pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case. In a special meeting held at the Takht, the Sikh clergy, headed by Jathedar Gyani Gurbachan Singh decided to annul its earlier edict issued on September 24, when the Sirsa-based sect head was pardoned for appearing in an attire of Guru Gobind Singh during a religious congregation.
After a marathon meeting at the secretariat of the Akal Takht, the Sikh clergy said the Gurumata (edict) of September 24 pardoning the Dera chief has been annulled since it was not acceptable to the Sikh community by and large. “Keeping in view the sentiments of the community, the Sikh clergy decided to annul the earlier edict as the Dera chief is not a real saint and his apology was not acceptable to Akal Takht,” Gyani Gurbachan Singh said in a statement.
The Dera chief had sent a written apology through his messenger, wherein he said that he could never think of copying the Tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh since he had a deep regard for all Sikh masters. He said he never compared himself with any spiritual master or saint and hence could not dare to copy the personality of a saint. The Sikh community, hardliners and various other outfits were upset with the Akal Takht for pardoning the chief without him making a personal appearance before the temporal seat of the Sikhs.
