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Amritsar, August 6:
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, on Wednesday declared Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains a tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for his presence at a controversial dance performance during the commemoration of Guru Teg Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom in Srinagar.

Religious Penalty Imposed

Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, along with four other Sikh high priests, directed Bains to perform a series of religious atonement tasks for violating Sikh maryada (code of conduct).
The prescribed tasks include:

• Barefoot pilgrimage from the Golden Temple to Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal, located half a kilometre away.

• Visits to Baba Bakala Sahib (40 km from Amritsar) and Delhi’s Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib.

• Two days of ‘sewa’ (voluntary service) at Anandpur Sahib, including cleaning footwear and sweeping premises.

• Offering ‘deg’ worth ₹1,100 and participating in a special ardas (prayer) seeking forgiveness.

Minister Accepts Verdict

Emerging from the Akal Takht Secretariat, Bains said, “As a devout Sikh, I humbly accept the Jathedars’ directive and will undertake all tasks to atone for this mistake.” He later issued an apology on social media, admitting that “a mistake was committed knowingly or unknowingly by the event’s management” and reiterated his respect for Sikh traditions.

Others Summoned

The Akal Takht also summoned Jaswant Singh, Director of the Punjab Language Department, who was present at the same event but is currently abroad. He is expected to appear before the Sikh high priests at a later date.

The Controversy

The issue arose after a cultural dance performance was organised during the religious commemoration event in Srinagar, allegedly in violation of Sikh religious protocols. Video clips of the performance sparked criticism within the Panthic (Sikh religious) circles, prompting the Akal Takht to seek an explanation from the minister and other officials present.