Badal and son Sukhbir seek blessings (votes) from Sacha Sauda cult leader in Jan 2007, but cult leader Ram-Rahim Gurmit ended up supporting their adversaries, the Congress Party.

Amritsar Sahib (KP) -  At a news conference organized by the Sacha Sauda Cult,  photographic evidence was released indicating that as recent as January of 2007, Shiromani Akali Dal's president Parkash Badal, his son Sukhbir Badal, and other Akalis met with the dehdahri-cult guru Ram-Rahim and asked for his blessings.

This announcement was made after a large Sikh conclave held at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib called upon the Sikh Nation to socially boycott the entire Sirsa cult, and  demanded the Punjab and Haryana Governments to take stern action the against the cult leader.

Panthic observers doubt any action would be taken by the Akal Takht Jathedars against the Badals, nor will the Punjab Government take action against the cult.   Parkash Badal's cozy relationship between the Sauda leader and other similar cults is now a widely accepted fact.  

The recent softening of the tone by Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti is an indication that he does not want to ruffle the feathers of his Akali bosses. The recent call for a boycott was not what Vedanti wanted-as evidenced by his silence at the meeting-instead pressure from Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh and the Sikh Sangat left him no other option.

Observers predict ultimately it would be the Sikh Sangat that will rise up against the onslaught of derawaad that has been flourishing in Punjab under the Akali administration.  Photos such as the above should be ample proof for the agitating Sikh Sangat which side of the fence the Akalis and their puppet Jathedars are really standing on.