A man opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Punjab’s Amritsar on Wednesday, PTI reported.
The former Punjab deputy chief minister was not hurt in the firing.
A video showed the man approaching Badal, who was sitting at the entrance, and firing gunshots at him.
The assailant, identified as Narain Singh Chaura, was overpowered by a bystander before being taken into custody, reported The Indian Express. Chaura, said to be a former member of the now-inactive Khalistan Liberation Army, managed to fire a shot, but the bullet did not hit Badal, who has Z+ security.
Harpal Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police for Amritsar Rural, said: “We had deployed security nearby. During this time, an individual attempted to create a disturbance but was unsuccessful. The accused has been taken into custody. Only after interrogation will we know the motive behind his actions.”
Badal was at the Golden Temple as part of a penance after the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal body of the Sikhs, found that he, along with other Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, engaged in religious misconduct. After the attack, Badal resumed religious service as part of the penance, and later went inside the Darbar Sahib premises to listen to religious sermons for another hour.
Chaura, who hails from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, was convicted in an Arms Act case in 2004 and released from jail in 2018. Since then, he has been associated with organisations such as Dal Khalsa. He also served as the second-in-command of the Akal Federation, a group established in 1982, and reportedly has over 20 cases against him.
Senior Akali leader Daljit Singh Cheema condemned the attack. “On the orders of Shri Akal Takht Sahib, Sukhbir Badal was performing his service as a humble servant,” he said. “During this time, a person tried to fire at him. The attacker was caught on the spot. I thank the security personnel for their bravery in protecting him.”
Cheema added: “I thank the True Lord for placing his hand on the servant’s head and saving him. We, as a party, condemn this incident. Our party has made significant sacrifices in Punjab. I want to ask Punjab’s chief minister why such an attack on a servant outside Darbar Sahib was allowed to happen. CM [Bhagwant] Mann should resign from his position.”
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also criticised the attack. “I believe that not everything is fine in Punjab,” he said. “Taking the accused into custody is no great achievement. I hold the Punjab government responsible for this.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he has told the police to investigate the firing and submit a report.
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