Arvind Kejriwal seeks forgiveness, performs ‘sewa’ at Golden Temple

Amritsar: Sticking to his promise, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday performed ‘sewa’ at Gurudwara Harmandar Sahib or the Golden Temple complex here.
As per reports, Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders cleaned utensils at the community kitchen as part of voluntary religious service.
Among the other AAP leaders present there were Ashish Khetan, lawyer HS Phoolka, AAP MPs Bhagwant Mann and Sadhu Singh, actors and AAP members Gul Panag and Gurpreet Ghuggi and others.
Kejriwal had promised to come to the Golden Temple and seek forgiveness for AAP`s political gaffe after the party`s `Youth manifesto` carried a picture of `Harmandar Sahib`, popularly known as the Golden Temple, along with AAP election symbol of `broom`.
“While releasing the `Youth Manifesto` of the party, we had committed some mistakes unintentionally. To seek forgiveness, we have done sewa at Darbar Sahib,” Kejriwal, who was at the shrine complex for nearly one hour, told media after performing the service.
Sporting a white handkerchief to cover his head and with folded hands, Kejriwal went around the shrine complex, offered prayers and later cleaned utensils at the `Langar` hall, the community kitchen which serves food to over one lakh people every day.
Kejriwal and others also partook of langar (community food).
The AAP, and Kejriwal, had faced criticism from the Sikh community, Punjab`s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and radical Sikh organisations for the goof-up. Even protests were held against the AAP which hat put high stakes in the state Assembly Elections due next year.
This was Kejriwal`s second visit to the Sikh shrine within 15 days. He had begun his three-day Punjab tour on July 3 by offering prayers at the same shrine. It was immediately after his visit that Kejriwal released the party`s controversial `Youth manifesto` here.
AAP leader Ashish Khetan was also booked by the Punjab Police on charge of hurting religious sentiments of the Sikhs by equating the manifesto with Guru Granth Sahib, the Bible and the Gita. Apologies by Khetan and the AAP over both controversies were rejected by the Akali Dal, opposition Congress and the SGPC.