Chandigarh: The standoff between Akal Takht and Takht Patna Sahib was resolved on Monday following a meeting held by Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargah with the five Sikh high priests (Panj Singh Sahiban).
Takht Patna Sahib (Bihar) is one of the five seats of temporal authority in Sikhism; the other four are Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar, the highest temporal seat, the Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib (district Rupnagar), Takht Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda) and and Takht Hazur Sahib (Nanded, Maharashtra).
The controversy was amicably resolved after the meeting accepted a letter from Takht withdrawing its edicts that had recently declared Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal and the Jathedars of Akal Takht and Takht Damdama Sahib as "tankhaiya" (guilty of religious misconduct); Akal Takht also withdrew its edicts issued against the management of Takht Sri Patna Sahib.
It may be recalled that the ``panj pyare’’ at Takht Sri Patna Sahib had declared Sukhbir as ``tankhaiya’’ for his failure to appear before it. He was summoned for allegedly interfering in its function on May 21 last. In the same meeting they also declared Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, as well as the Jathdars of Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib for summoning granthis without the consent of Takht Sri Patna Sahib.
However, rejecting the Takht Sri Patna Sahib’s edicts, Akal Takht also declared three of the five high priests of Takht Sri Patna Sahib ``tankhaiya’’.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SPGC) also dismissed the edicts stating that Takht Sri Patna Sahib lacked jurisdiction and that only Akal Takht had the authority to deliberate on panthic issues.
It may be recalled that Sukhbir had earlier been declared a ``tankhaiya’’; in December 2024, when the Akal Takht, declared Sukhbir and some other SAD leaders 'tankhaiya' for "some of SAD's decisions" during his tenure as deputy chief minister from 2007 to 2017 following which they served various ``tankhah’’ (punishments) including cleaning utensils, shoes and washrooms for 10 days at different gurdwaras. Sukhbir had narrowly escaped an assassination bid when an ex-Khalistani militant opened fire at him outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar where he was serving his religious punishment as a ``sevadar’’ on December 4, 2024.
