Former Punjab Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was seen at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar this morning – wearing a plaque around his neck and sitting in a wheelchair – as he serves a punishment over a sacrilege case. Mr Badal has been sentenced by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, to perform as a ‘sewadar’ and given clean duty in the kitchen and toilet at several gurdwaras.

The Akali Dal president was given the punishment for favouring Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2015 sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. Mr Badal had admitted his mistakes and tendered an unconditional apology to the Akal Takht.

Five high priests of the Sikhs yesterday declared the quantum of ‘tankhah’, a religious punishment for misconduct.

Mr Badal along with leaders and core committee members of Akali Dal, who were cabinet members in 2015, have been directed to clean the bathrooms at the Golden Temple for an hour from noon. They will take a bath after the cleaning duty and serve langar.

His father and former chief minister of Punjab, late Parkash Singh Badal, has also been stripped of the Fakhr-e-Qaum (pride of the Sikh community) honour that was bestowed on him in 2011 for services to the community.