Top Sikh clerics have rejected the apology tendered by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is accused of hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs.
AMRITSAR: The top Sikh clergy on Wednesday rejected the fresh "apology" by Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, accused of blasphemy, saying it neither accepted his sin nor promised to refrain from repeating such an act.
Emerging from a meeting of Akal Takhat here, Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti told reporters that "the fresh note received from Dera head neither accepts his sin nor promises not to repeat such act again".
Asked whether the Akal Takhat accepts or rejects the fresh apology by the head of the Sirsa-based sect, Vedanti said, "It's not an apology. It's a press note from the head of Dera Sacha Sauda without his signature."
The Dera Chief had invited the ire of Akal Takhat for allegedly dressing like Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and his action sparked violent protest by the Sikhs across Punjab last month.
Vedanti said the social boycott by Sikhs of the head of Dera and his followers would continue and that the edict issued by the Akal Takhat on May 29 on this issue would be a binding on all members of the community.
He appealed to the Sikhs to continue their protest against the activities of Baba Gurmeet in a "peaceful manner".
"Any decision on the Baba will be taken in the coming days keeping in view the sentiments of the Sikh community," he said.
Vedanti, who returned from Canada last night, charged the Dera chief with being "arrogant, mischievous and cunning".
He also criticised the Haryana Government's recent decision to provide Z 'plus' security to the head of Sacha Sauda.
The Sikh clerics also took a serious note of alleged excesses on the community members in various parts of Haryana and appealed to the members to participate in maximum numbers at a meeting by the Sikh community at Ratia in Sirsa on July 11.
"The idea is to pressurise the Haryana Government to desist from registering false cases on Sikhs in the state," he said.
Violent protests by Sikhs had erupted across Punjab and parts of Haryana after Dera chief appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13 in a dress similar to that of Guru Gobind Singh.
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