He Did Not Flinch: Akali Dal Leader On Sukhbir Badal Attack

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal survived a close-range assassination attempt earlier today. Badal was targeted by an armed individual at the Gurdwara Mata Sahib in Maharashtra's Nanded. The attack occurred when Badal was on a family visit to the holy shrine and was accompanied by his wife and Lok Sabha MP, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, along with other relatives.

Speaking on the incident, senior SAD leader and Badal's brother-in-law, Bikram Singh Majithia issued a scathing condemnation, labelling the assault a 'deliberate attempt' on Badal's life. Majithia cited past assassination bids and called for an immediate non-partisan investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sequence Of Events: Attack At The Entrance

According to SAD leaders, the entirety of the Badal family had travelled to Nanded to seek blessings. The family visited as many as three gurdwaras where Sukhbir Badal was formally honoured with saropas, an honorary garment in the Sikh faith. The intention of the trip was purely spiritual and private.

The situation turned grave as the leader was exiting the third shrine, Gurdwara Mata Sahib. While exiting the holy shrine, Badal was passing through the foot-washing area which is where the attacker struck him.  

Armed with a kirpan, a small knife,  the attacker as per Akali Dal leaders, aimed directly for Badal's upper body and chest in a clear attempt to kill. It is then that the Akali Dal Chief in a bid to shield himself, took the blow on his forearm. Subsequently, Badal sustained severe injuries to his forearm, requiring 8 to 10 stitches and was immediately rushed into surgery under anaesthesia. Majithia noted that Badal did not flinch during the sudden assault, describing his survival as a 'divine intervention.'

Majithia added that the attacker made a second attempt but the move was thwarted by security officials who provided the SAD chief cover.

"Not Followers Of God": Majithia Condemns Incident

Condemning the violence inside a place of worship, Bikram Majithia stressed that true devotees do not bring weapons into sacred shrines to harm others. He said, "No follower of God enters a temple with such a mentality. No true Sikh attacks someone using a weapon like this. Such people are far away from faith."

Echoes Of Past Security Failures

This incident marks the second high-profile attempt on Sukhbir Badal's life within two years. Speaking of the attack, the Akali Dal leadership hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for remaining silent on the matter and even drew sharp parallels to the previous attack in Amritsar, where a man called Narain Singh Chaura opened fire on Badal outside the Golden Temple.

The Akali Dal slammed the Punjab Police and the AAP government in Punjab and said that the repeated attacks were occurring due to massive security lapses and superficial probes in previous attempts.  Majithia questioned how Chaura was released on bail within four months of the Amritsar attack, alleging that authorities failed to investigate the conspiracy thoroughly. He criticised the state police hierarchy, pointing out instances where officers were seen displaying familiarity with individuals linked to past attacks rather than maintaining strict security protocols. Fearing further threats to moderate Sikh leadership, SAD has demanded a full CBI enquiry to uncover the masterminds behind both incidents before a third attack occurs.

Motive Clarification: "Do Not Link To Sacrilege"

The SAD has received a lot of criticism over the year over sacrilege incidents during the party's rule. Dispelling speculations, the Akali Dal delinked the attack to disgruntlement over the party's tenure, stating that the incident was independent of it. Instead, the party has linked the Nanded attack to 'external, divisive forces' aimed at 'destabilising 'Punjab's peace. The party also substantiated its argument by linking past attacks to ISI. Demanding stricter security cover for its leaders ahead of the polls, the party has demanded that relevant help and attention by given to the party so as to avert more such incidents from occurring.