SENIOR leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), including former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia and other party MLAs visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar Saturday to seek forgiveness for any mistakes committed ‘knowingly or unknowingly’ during the SAD-BJP combine’s 10-year rule in Punjab.

An Akhand Path was installed at the gurdwara on the premises of the Golden Temple and all the top leaders of party will do volunteer service, such as making langar, cleaning shoes, utensils and floor at Golden Temple till the conclusion of Akhand Path Monday.

Similar practice is followed when the Akal Takht pronounces religious sentence to any Sikh for violating any of the norms mentioned in the Sikh code of conduct.

SAD has made no official statement on the purpose of this collective religious practice, However, Ardas (prayer) to start the Akhand Path mentioned the names of Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parkash Singh Badal and says the party leadership was seeking apology from Guru for any mistakes committed “knowingly or unknowingly” during their 10 years in power.