- Akali Dal leader called knife attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal a total intelligence failure
- Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a knife at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Gurudwara in Nanded
- One suspect has been detained following the attack on the Akali Dal chief in Maharashtra
Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia has described the knife attack on party chief and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal as a total failure of intelligence and the second assassination bid against him.
"This was the second assassination attempt on him. It is a very unfortunate incident. There's been a total failure of intelligence. It is a very scary thing for the family to witness. It could have been fatal," Majithia told NDTV.
Akali Dal chief and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was injured in a knife attack in Maharashtra's Nanded on Thursday, police said. A man attacked Badal with a knife when he was visiting the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Deva Ji, police said. One person has been detained in connection with the attack, which took place around 1.45 pm, an official said.
In 2024, on the second day of his penance at the Golden Temple on Wednesday (December 4), Badal had a narrow escape as a former Khalistani terrorist fired at him from at close range but missed as he was overpowered by plainclothes policemen.
"The agencies need to get to the bottom of it. Every life is very precious. I wish the family well. The Union government or the state government needs to look after the family's security. Devendra Fadnavis should look into why there was an intelligence failure. I have been raising this for a really long time. It was Bhagwant Mann's failure during the last attack (in 2024). It was his lapse that led to the attack in Darbar Sahab. In gurdwaras, nobody attacks. Darbar Sahab has witnessed only two attacks -- one was when Indira Gandhi ordered Operation Bluestar and one was against Sukhbir Badal," Majithia told NDTV.
Badal was rushed to a private hospital for treatment, police said.
A viral video showed Badal walking inside a building with a cloth wrapped around his right hand.
Badal was attacked by a Nihang Sikh with a kirpan. The attacker has been taken into custody. A security personnel deployed in Badal's security was also injured in the attack.
"No Sikh would ever go with an intention to attack anyone in a gurudwara. Because that is not the teachings of the Guru. It is only somebody who is motivated by someone who has been sent by someone to silence Sukjbir Singh Badal. Because Sukhbir Singh Badal represents the moderate side of Punjab. He is not a hardliner," Majithia said.
Shortly after the attack, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the Nanded Superintendent of Police and sought details. Fadnavis has directed the police to investigate the motive behind the attack.
