NEW DELHI—It has been a year since Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the Akali Candidate to run in the 2015 Delhi Assembly Elections, admitted to having taken support of the anti-Sikh cult Sacha Sauda during the elections. However, despite having publicly affirmed taking support from anti-Sikh elements, the Akali leader in Delhi is yet to appear at Sri Akal Takht Sahib to seek forgiveness for his sin.
Despite being supported by the Sacha Sauda cult in the elections, he was defeated by shoe hurler journalist Jarnail Singh by a difference of more than 10,000 votes. After his defeat from the hands of Bhai Jarnail Singh, Sirsa spoke up about the factors behind his defeat.
Sirsa remained center of controversy when Sirsa cult follower Niranjana Jyoti uttered communal remarks against the Muslim brotherhood. Incidentally, Sirsa was surrounded in this controversy since he was the only Akali Dal candidate who had openly reached out to the Sirsa cult for support.
He was also blamed for using funds from the Delhi Shiromani Gurdwara Management Committee; the allegation he has rebutted since.
Akal Takht Sahib had passed a mandate asking Sikhs from boycotting the Sirsa based cult Sacha Sauda entirely, and to not keep any relations. However, despite the mandate, Sirsa, along with several Akalis leaders had approached the cult leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim seeking support in the elections.
The Sacha Sauda mandate was later overturned, but reinstated, in a dramatic fashion by the clergy appointed by the SGPC.
There is no point in this apostate seeking a pardon from the Akal Takht as he does not believe in tenets of Sikh faith like the rest of his Akali Badal Party.