Akal Takht awarded ‘Tankhah’ to VC, politician, director, preacher, tells them to clean shoes, utensils
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ December 8,2025
Today, six Sikhs scholar, politicians, preachers namely Virsa Singh Valtoha (Politician), Prof Karamjit Singh (VC, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar), Harinder Singh (Sikh preacher from UK) , Giani Gurbachan Singh and Jaswant Singh (Director, Punjab Language department) were awarded ‘tankhah’ (punishment) after they appeared before the Five Singh Sahibans at Sikh’s Temporal seat of Sri Akal Takht.
After going through their written apologies, Singh sahibans headed by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, accepted it and pronounced religious punishment on all five of them.
The first one to appear is politician and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Virsa Singh Valtoha. The Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj lifted the ten-year ban on politician and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Virsa Singh Valtoha, after he appeared before the high priests, apologized for his controversial act of recording the proceedings of high priests , statements given in public and pledged to follow Sikh principles (Maryada). The decision allows him to uphold the sanctity of Sikh teachings, principles.
Then the Jathedar exonerated Prof Karamjit Singh, vice chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar after he appeared before the high priests, apologized for attending RSS meeting in South India and pledged to follow Sikh principles (Maryada) and not to distort the principles of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Then, Harinder Singh, a preacher from UK appeared before the high priests, apologized for controversial misinterpreting Gurbani, and pledged to follow Sikh principles (Maryada). The decision allows him to preach again but requires him to uphold the sanctity of Sikh teachings and promote Panthic unity.
Giani Gurbachan Singh, former Jathedar of Akal Takht apologized for exonerating the controversial Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for the 2007 blasphemous act took place.
Then the state cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and Jaswant Singh (Director, Punjab Language department) apologized for the controversial act done by public at a Punjab government managed function while commemorating the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Srinagar. People danced on the songs of Bir Singh, the singer who performed at the programme organised by the state language department in Srinagar on July 24
Later Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj pronounced the religious punishment to all the five persons
