Chandigarh, Oct 3: The Akal Takht, highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, is set to excommunicate Sucha Singh Langah, the now-former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader, from the panth (religion) in light of the rape case registered against him last week. A meeting of the clergy scheduled for October 5 is expected to issue the punishment for Langah, “whose acts have hurt Sikh sentiments”, said Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh on Monday.
A baptised Sikh, Langah was a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), considered the mini-parliament of Sikhs, until he resigned after the case was registered at Gurdaspur on a complaint by a police constable, who said she was being exploited by the former SAD minister over eight years.
The woman submitted a video as evidence, which went viral online over the weekend, showing Langah purportedly in a sexual act. In it, he is also seen wearing the kirpan, a ceremonial dagger worn by baptised Sikhs.
Referring to the video, the jathedar condemned Langah for indulging in an “immoral, disgraceful and blasphemous” act. “Actions of Langah are against the Sikh tenants and it (Takht) will give suitable punishment (to Langah) for hurting religious sentiments,” a statement by the jathedar said. Sources in the SGPC told HT that he could be given the toughest punishment, of excommunication.
The alacrity with which the clergy is moving against Langah seems, in fact, part of a political damage-control exercise of the SAD, which controls the SGPC that appoints the jathedras of the three temporal seats in Punjab.
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com
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