With party Sr VP Bhai Manjit Singh urging all party leaders linked to sacrilege to seek pardon at Akal Takht Sahib, it is clear that the Badal Dal is certainly in the dock. As the Bargari Morcha gains momentum,  a cross-section of the party leadership has been raising muted voices of dissent. Nevertheless, they are countering the threatening boast of Sukhbir Singh Badal that, “whoever speaks against me is a traitor of the party.”

With the Badal Dal in the dock due to its follies relating to incidents of sacrilege at the hands of the the Dera Sauda Premis, yet another senior leader of the party, Senior Vice President Bhai Amrik Singh has questioned the policy of the party and without taking names has sought that, “all those whose names are associated with the sacrilege incidents, directly or indirectly, in any way, must appear before the Akal Takht to seek pardon as it was a gross mistake to do so.”

He further said that his family has always respected the Guru Granth Sahib and has sacrificed a lot on this front and that there can be no compromise on this score.

“The pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief was a suicidal step. It has damaged the reputation of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal.”

Bhai Manjit Singh, Sr VP, Shiromani Akali Dal Badal

In his signed statement released to the media, he has said that “the pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was a suicidal step and has vastly harmed the interests of the party and has damaged the name and reputation of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal.” He clearly reiterated that, “this alone was the reason for the defeat of the party in the Assembly elections.

Bhai Manjit Singh is a rather silent voice of the party and for him to come on record clearly demonstrates the guilt-consciousness within the Badal Dal. Bhai Manjit Singh is the brother of Bhai Amrik Singh who died fighting with Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale for the protection and honour of Akal Takht Sahib during the Saka Akal Takht in June 1984.

The first salvo was fired by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa he resigned from all party posts. Though he resigned from party posts on health grounds, yesterday, he shared the dias with the Chief Minister of Punjab at the function to honour Indian sportspersons, in his capacity as the president of the Cycling Federation of India.

“Zameer taan mar gahi hai, honn chittran tohn darde hann.”

Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Co-convenor, Panthic Assembly

In the second round, we heard the dissenting voices of  Khadoor Sahib Member Parliament Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and his associates former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan and former Member Parliament Rattan Singh Ajnala, who stopped short of resignation only at the vehement insistence of Parkash Singh Badal.

The next roundabout step was announced by DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK, who “passed on the reigns” to his Sr VP President a few days ago.

Well, it can be clearly observed that all is not well within the Badal Dal ranks. The next gathering at Bargari on 14 October will further bestir the rank and file of the leadership.

Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, a former SGPC general secretary, and one of the proponents of the proposed Panthic Assembly, who resigned from the Badal Dal post-Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan police firing in October 2015,, while speaking to the media has remarked, “They are raising their voices of dissent not because their conscience is pricking them, but because they are afraid of the consequences of confronting the people.” In chaste Punjabi, he said, “Zameer taan mar gahi hai, honn chittran tohn darde hann.”

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Nemesis is catching up. It will be interesting to watch where and when it will end.