Congress and BJP Advise Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Against Confronting Akal Takht
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday advised Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to refrain from openly defying the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs. Both parties expressed concerns over the potential repercussions of such a confrontation.
Reacting to Mann's dismissal of the Akal Takht edict, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring stated that while the Chief Minister has every right to defend himself and present his viewpoint, he could have done so without resorting to defiance that undermines the institution's authority. Warring emphasized that such confrontation is avoidable and urged the CM to avoid politicizing the matter. He warned that pitting the government against the highest temporal authority would not be acceptable to any true Sikh.
Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon also advised Mann not to confront the Akal Takht, noting that those who have done so in the past were left with nothing. Dhillon suggested that instead of making statements against the Akal Takht's decisions or adopting a confrontational approach, the CM should appear before it as a true Sikh, acknowledge his mistake, and seek forgiveness from the Sikh community. He further appealed to ministers, IAS officers, and other government employees to refrain from participating in meetings with the Chief Minister until he is forgiven by the Akal Takht.
