Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal managed to narrowly escape an assassination attempt at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday. The incident happened as Badal, who sat in a wheelchair, was doing his ‘sewadar’ work when a man fired a shot at him. Luckily, the bullet hit the wall, and Badal remained unharmed. Narain Singh, the assailant, was caught by the onlookers and handed over to the police.
Badal, who was performing his ‘seva’ outside the Golden Temple, was standing near Guru Ram Das Dwar when the attack took place. The bullet narrowly missed Badal, which sent shock waves among the people present at the scene. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema expressed his gratitude to Guru Nanak, saying, “Jako Rakhe Saaiyan, Maar Sake Na Koy,” referring to the divine protection that saved Badal’s life. Cheema further stated that such an incident pointed to the growing unrest in the state of Punjab.
#WATCH | Punjab: Visuals from Golden Temple in Amritsar where a bullet was fired at SAD leaders, including party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. pic.twitter.com/FsKOzmvcxt
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024
#WATCH | Punjab: Visuals of the empty bullet shell fired at Golden Temple premises in Amritsar where SAD leaders, including party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, are offering ‘seva’ under the religious punishments pronounced for them by Sri Akal Takht Sahib, on 2nd December. pic.twitter.com/RGSt6Mis6t
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024
The attacker was subdued immediately by the security personnel and other people present in the Golden Temple. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed that the assailant had been caught, and a full investigation would be carried out. “An investigation will reveal whether there was a deeper conspiracy,” Bhullar noted, emphasising that it was an assassination attempt averted by the alertness of the police.
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SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami also promised to probe the matter thoroughly, saying, “We are looking into the security arrangements and will review the incident closely.”
The attack is the result of a religious edict pronounced by the Sikh clergy against Sukhbir Singh Badal and other SAD leaders. It was due to the role of Badal as head of the Shiromani Akali Dal for a period of ten years between 2007 and 2017, in which controversial pardon had been issued, and recently in 2017 by forgiving Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on the blasphemy charges.
Before the punishment, Badal had expressed remorse over his mistakes, accepting the political and religious fallouts from decisions taken during his tenure as part of the SAD-led government.
The attempt on the life of Sukhbir Badal has sent shock waves in the Sikh community, and political and religious leaders have demanded an in-depth investigation into the incident. The attack on one of the holiest sites of Sikhism brings to the fore the tense political climate in Punjab. As the probe continues, questions about the motives and conspiracy in the attack are still in the air, which leave the community and political circles in deep thought.
