India, Dec. 8 -- Akal Takht pronounced religious punishments (tankhah) for former jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) vice-chancellor Karamjit Singh, linguist Jaswant Singh and preacher Harinder Singh after they appeared before the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs in Amritsar on Monday and tendered written apologies for actions deemed objectionable by the Sikh clergy.

The punishments were issued during a meeting of the Sikh clergy, led by Akal Takht officiating jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj.

After Valtoha apologised for making derogatory remarks in October 2024 against jathedars and accepted responsibility for recording an au...