Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal had volunteered to do sewa (voluntary service) at the Golden Temple seek forgiveness for his party’s apparent “disrespect” to Sikhs – his party manifesto equated AAP manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, and used a picture of a broom next to that of the Sikh shrine. As part of that strategy to strike a chord with Sikhs, APP has designed a poster, in which AAP’s election symbol “broom” was printed beside Golden Temple.
Advertisement
Among those who accompanies Kejriwal on Monday were Khetan, Phoolka, Punjab AAP convenor, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, former journalist Kanwar Sandhu, youth leader Harjot Bains, MPs Bhagwant Mann and Sadhu Singh, singer Gurpreet Ghuggi, actor Gul Panag and Phoolka.
With folded hands and a handkerchief covering his head, he circumambulated the complex, offered prayers and cleaned utensils at the Langar hall that serves food to more than one lakh people in a single day. Protests were held against the AAP.
The Youth Manifesto was released in Amritsar on July 3rd.
Ashish Khaitan also faced trouble for comparing the party manifesto with the holy book of Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, and other religious books including the Gita. Apologies by Khetan and the AAP over both controversies were rejected by the Akali Dal, opposition Congress and the SGPC.
Besides Kejriwal, summonses were issued to journalist-turned-politician Ashish Khetan and AAPs Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh by Chief Judicial Magistrate Gurpartap Singh in a case filed by Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.
Advertisement
Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy and son Sukhbir Singh Badal had accused the AAP leaders of “hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs” through their actions. To repent for those mistakes, we performed sewa today.
