Amritsar: The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, yesterday kept in abeyance its decision on a second apology from Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh to the Sikh community for hurting their sentiments even as it maintained its tough stance.
The rejection of the second "apology" came as Sikh high priests from five temporal seats met here to discuss it.
The Dera chief had last week sent a sealed letter to Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar.
After a six-hour meeting here, the Sikh high priests said the sect chief's's second communication was not acceptable as it was "just another press note".
They said that Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh had neither sought an apology from the Sikhs nor shown any remorse over his action - attiring himself in the manner of 10th Sikh guru Gobing Singh.
"The Dera chief failed to give an undertaking that he would not repeat his action again," Akal Takht Jathedar (head priest) Joginder Singh Vedanti said.
The Dera head's earlier apology, sent in the last week of May and apologising to the Sikh gurus for his "unintentional act," was rejected by the Sikh clergy and Akal Takht last month.
The "non-acceptance" of the apology is likely to complicate matters for the Akali Dal government in Punjab led by Parkash Singh Badal.
A Bathinda court has already issued non-bailable warrants against Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in a case against him for hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs. The Punjab police now need the permission of the Badal government to arrest the sect chief from his headquarters near Sirsa town of Haryana.
