AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal

Amritsar: Arvind Kejriwal will do sewa (voluntary service) at the Golden Temple on July 18 to seek forgiveness for his party's apparent 'disrespect' to Sikhs by equating AAP manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib and putting a picture of a broom next to that of the Sikh shrine, AAP leader and lawyer H S Phoolka said on Friday.

Kejriwal will be accompanied by AAP Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, former journalist Kanwar Sandhu, youth leader Harjot Bains, MPs Bhagwant Mann and Sadhu Singh, singer Gurpreet Ghuggi, actor Gul Panag and Phoolka.

Kejriwal won't be summoned by the Akal Takht, a practice for the Sikhs who show disrespect to the religion. However, everyone is allowed to do sewa. During the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, state minister and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia was accused of twisting a religious hymn for which he performed sewa at the Golden Temple.

Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh said, "His repentance will not be considered this way. Let his case come before us. We will convene a meeting and decide accordingly."

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said, "We will meet and decide whether this apology can be accepted. We will continue taking legal recourse."

During the release of AAP's 51-point youth manifesto in Amritsar on July 3, AAP's Ashish Khetan stated that it was like the Guru Granth Sahib to them leading to court cases and police complaints against AAP leaders.

"People are asking him to personally perform sewa at the Golden Temple, so he will do it," Phoolka said. "In our case, Kejriwal himself will perform sewa, but SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal or party president Sukhbir Singh Badal never performed sewa when one of their leaders had shown disrespect to Sikh religion."

A court has fixed July 18 for hearing on the defamation suit filed by Majithia against Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and Khetan.

