Chandigarh:

The working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Friday accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as party chief, party leaders said.

The move came over a month after Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh asked the SAD to implement the December 2 edict at the earliest, while referring to the direction of accepting the resignation of Badal.

Sukhbir Singh Badal’s resignation was accepted in the working committee meeting held at the party’s headquarters.

Speaking to reporters after his resignation was accepted, Sukhbir Singh Badal thanked the party workers and leaders for their support.

Sukhbir Singh Badal had tendered his resignation as the party chief on November 16 last year but the party’s working committee did not accept his resignation, appealing him to reconsider his resignation otherwise the entire committee would resign enmasse.

While pronouncing the religious punishment for Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders for the “mistakes” committed by the SAD and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017 on December 2, the Akal Takht had also directed the SAD’s working committee to accept the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as party chief and other leaders.

Sukhbir Singh Badal was declared ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, on August 30 last year. He had undergone religious punishment.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday performed the duty of ‘sewadar’ outside a gurdwara in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib amid tight security.

Mr Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, also listened to ‘kirtan’ and washed dishes in the community kitchen.

The former deputy chief minister, a Z protectee, arrived at the gurdwara surrounded by security personnel. He wore a blue ‘sewadar’ uniform and sat at the gurdwara entrance with a spear in one hand for an hour from 9 am.

Saturday is the fifth day of Mr Badal’s penance for “mistakes” made by the SAD and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Other SAD leaders, who are also undergoing religious punishment pronounced by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, on December 2, were also present in the gurdwara.

Besides the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Akal Takht has asked Badal to perform the duty of ‘sewadar’ at the Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib, and Darbar Sahib in Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib for two days each.

On the second day of his penance at the Golden Temple on December 4, Badal had a narrow escape as former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singh Chaura fired at him from a close range but missed as he was overpowered by plainclothes policemen and later arrested.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal – a man shot at the ex-Punjab Deputy Chief Minister this morning at Amritsar’s Golden Temple – has been slammed across political lines, with Mr Badal’s Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party uniting to condemn the attempted assassination. 

SAD leader Naresh Gujral led the charge, suggesting “the attack by extremists on Punjab’s moderate forces… has Khalistani connections” and also claiming a conspiracy by foreign actors, including Canada, Pakistan, and the United States in a statement underlining the emotions at play all around.

“Today’s attack is an attack by extremists on moderate forces in Punjab… among Sikhs and Punjabis. As per preliminary reports, the attacker had Khalistani connections. So-called Khalistanis want to destabilise Punjab somehow. There could also be a conspiracy by Pakistan,” he said.

“It is clear that foreign forces… sitting in Canada and America have a hand in this. We want an inquiry by the National Investigation Agency, and people and forces involved should be revealed and interrogated,” Mr Gujral told news agency ANI, “Only then can there be peace in Punjab.”

#WATCH | Bullet fired at Golden Temple | Shiromani Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral says, “Today’s attack is an attack by extremists on the moderate forces of Punjab. Sukhbir Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal are moderate forces in Punjab – among both Sikhs and Punjabis. As per… pic.twitter.com/7oZTdpcVds

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024

Congress, BJP Slam AAP

Congress leaders Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, the party’s Punjab unit chief, and Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav have also reacted. Mr Warring said the attack was “very wrong” but seemed more critical of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, holding it “100 per cent” responsible.

“I think this is very wrong. This should not have happened. I consider the firing at Sukhbir Singh Badal (because of) 100 per cent negligence of the government. This shows the condition of law-and-order in Punjab. Whoever fired the bullets should be given strictest punishment,” he said.

Mr Warring also demanded action against senior police officials, particularly the Assistant Commissioner. “Immediate action should be taken against him… how did this happen? he asked, accusing the AAP of “waiting for someone to be killed and then say it was a ‘lapse’.”

The Congress, which is the main opposition, also reacted through the Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, who called the attack “deeply unfortunate and unequivocally condemnable”.

“Such acts of violence have no place in our society. Such incidents undermine the very fabric of our democratic values and societal harmony. The incident is a stark reminder of the need for responsible discourse and vigilance in Punjab,” he said.

From the BJP’s camp, National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa condemned the attack and, like the Congress, took the chance to also fling mud at the AAP for failing to maintain law-and-order.

Shocking and condemnable!
An attack on S. Sukhbir Singh Badal in the sacred premises of Sri Harmandir Sahib is not just a security lapse but a grave breach of the sanctity of our religious institutions. @AAPPunjab Govt has failed to ensure the safety of citizens and uphold the… pic.twitter.com/B0d1uTHs4W

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 4, 2024

“An attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal in the sacred premises of Sri Harmandir Sahib is not just a security lapse but a grave breach of the sanctity of our religious institutions. AAP government has failed to ensure safety of citizens and uphold dignity of holy places,” he said in a video statement on X.

The SP’s Mr Yadav said, “It is extremely sad an attempt was made to kill him.”

AAP Responds

Answering for the AAP, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha “strongly condemned” the attack.

“Violence and such attacks have no place in a civil society. By God’s grace, Sukhbir Badal remained unscathed and is safe. I also thank the police for catching the attacker… Punjab Police is investigating all angles and will keep you informed about whatever comes out in the investigation…” he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also responded.

“Punjab Police prevented a major incident… as a result of their promptness a conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis failed. The police achieved great success by arresting the assailant on the spot. I appreciate their promptness and strongly condemn the attack on Sukhbir Badal,” he said on X.

ਪੰਜਾਬ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਨੇ ਅੱਜ ਇੱਕ ਵੱਡੀ ਵਾਰਦਾਤ ਹੋਣ ਤੋਂ ਰੋਕਿਆ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਦੀ ਮੁਸਤੈਦੀ ਦਾ ਨਤੀਜਾ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਅਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਬਦਨਾਮ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਨਾਕਾਮ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ। ਪੁਲਿਸ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਮੁਸਤੈਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਹੀ ਹਮਲਾਵਰ ਨੂੰ ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ ਕਰਕੇ ਵੱਡੀ ਕਾਮਯਾਬੀ ਹਾਸਲ ਕੀਤੀ। ਮੈਂ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਦੀ ਮੁਸਤੈਦੀ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਲਾਘਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ,…

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) December 4, 2024

Mr Mann said he had issued “strict instructions” for the cops to investigate and submit a report.

“Alert” Cops Saved Sukhbir Badal

Amritsar Police chief Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the “alertness” of his officers had prevented any loss of life and, in response to questions about security arrangements, insisted that “adequate arrangements… foolproof security arrangements…” had been made.

“The attacker has been caught. An investigation will reveal everything… whether there was a deeper conspiracy…It was an assassination attempt, but he was saved by alert police.”

According to sources, the shooter, Narain Singh, has links with Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa and may have planned the 2004 Burail jailbreak, when four men escaped by digging a 94-foot tunnel.

Those four were Babbar Khalsa chief Jagtar Singh Hawara; former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassins, Paramjit Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Tara; and a murder convict Devi Singh.

Sukhbir Badal’s Penance

The attack on Mr Badal, 62, took place as the veteran politician was serving penance ordered by the Akal Takht, the Sikh religious body, for “mistakes” by his party when it was in power from 2007 to 2017. He had been asked to serve food, wash dishes, and clean shoes at gurdwaras.

#WATCH | Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, his wife and MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal wash utensils at Golden Temple in Amritsar following the religious punishment pronounced for them by Sri Akal Takht Sahib.

Bullets were fired at the Golden Temple in Amritsar where SAD… pic.twitter.com/LGNVve0Q2r

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024

Today was the third day of that penance; Mr Badal was sitting at the gate of the Golden Temple when he was fired upon, at 9 am, by Narain Singh from Gurdaspur district, 75 km from Amritsar.

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New Delhi:

Narain Singh Chaura, the man who allegedly has links to the Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa, was arrested for opening fire at former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal this morning. He tried to attack Mr Badal while he was serving his penance at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Sukhbir Singh Badal escaped unhurt as Chaura was overpowered by people present on the spot.

The incident occurred around 9 am shortly after Mr Badal, who was in a wheelchair, had taken the ‘sewadar’s’ place at the gate of the Golden Temple.

Visuals from the spot show Chaura slowly approaching the gate and then taking a gun out of his pocket. A man standing near Mr Badal quickly spotted him and held his hands.

#WATCH | Punjab: Bullets 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.

Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/CFQaoiqLkx

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024

The gun goes off but narrowly misses Mr Badal and others near him and hits the wall.

Who Is Narain Singh Chaura

Narain Singh Chaura is a resident of a village called Chaura in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, some 60 kilometres from Golden Temple.

He was born on April 4, 1956, to Chanam Singh and Gurnam Kaur.

According to sources in the security establishment, Chaura is associated with the banned pro-Khalistan group Babbar Khalsa or Babbar Khalsa International.

The 68-year-old is also considered the mastermind of Chandigarh’s 2004 Burail jailbreak case in which four inmates escaped prison after digging a 104-foot tunnel. These four prisoners were Babbar Khalsa chief Jagtar Singh Hawara, former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassins Paramjit Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Tara and a murder convict Devi Singh.

Chaura was arrested in 2013 in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was released on bail five years later.

Sukhbir Singh Badal Serving Punishment At Golden Temple

Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday started his penance by serving the religious punishment given to him by the highest temporal body of Sikhs in a sacrilege case.

The Akali Dal chief sat in a wheelchair at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, wearing a plaque around his neck and holding a spear, visuals showed.

Mr Badal has been sentenced by the Akal Takht to perform as a ‘sewadar’ and given clean duty in the kitchen and toilet at several gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple, for favouring Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2015 sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

Chandigarh:

The Shiromani Akali Dal at one of its lowest points today, a section within the party is calling for introspection and a reboot, preferably with a new leader. The section — including Sikandar S Maluka, Surjit S Rakhra, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prem S Chandumajra and others — skipped a crucial party meeting in Chandigarh to hold a huddle of their own in Jalandhar.

“Today it was discussed seriously why Akali Dal has become so weak… A change in the party is necessary to bring it back to the old path,” said senior leader Prem Singh Chandumajra, signalling the need for the leadership, to take responsibility. .

“I appeal to party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to not ignore the sentiments of the workers, but to understand them. The party will take a decision in view of the Lok Sabha Election results,” he added. The leadership of the Akali Dal has been in the hands of the Badal family for decades.

“On July 1, all of us Akali leaders will bow down in Sri Akal Takht Sahib. From there that day, we will start the Shiromani Akali Dal Bachao Lehar. We will include senior leaders of the Akali Dal in this journey,” he added. The group is calling the rejuvenation campaign the “Akali Dal Bachao Abhiyan”.

The Akali Dal, out of power for over one term, is finding the path back to spotlight tough. In 2020, it left the alliance with the BJP over the farm law issue to retain its core constituency — the farmers of the state.

But the farmers were not placated and in 2022, the SAD posted one of its worst performances in the assembly election. The party won only three of Punjab’s 117 seats and the Congress 18. AAP swept the election, winning 92 seats.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election in Punjab, the Akali Dal could hold onto just one seat — Bathinda of the Harsimrat Kaur Badal — down from two in 2019. The Congress won seven of the state’s 13 seats and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party three.

Its back to the wall, the party is now contemplating on some serious damage control ahead of a crucial by-election next month.

On July 10, by-polls are due in the Jalandhar West assembly seat. By-polls for four more seats — Gidderbaha, Chabbewal, Barnala and Dera Baba Nanak – will also be held over the coming days.

The Akali Dal, however, has called the rebel leaders “frustrated elements sponsored by the BJP” to weaken it.

Chandigarh:

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that he will not fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Badal said this after holding a day-long meeting with the party leaders, district party presidents and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members here to discuss candidates for the parliamentary seats of the state.

When asked whether he will fight the parliamentary elections, Mr Badal, who is the MP from Ferozepur seat, said, “I am not fighting the elections.” Replying to another question, he said that consultation on the names of probable candidates was underway.

After the completion of the consultation process, the names of candidates will be announced, he said.

“We held the meeting for six parliamentary seats here in which district president, ‘halqa’ incharges, SGPC members were called and their views were taken,” he replied to another question.

The names of former ministers Anil Joshi, Parminder Singh Dhindsa and former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu are doing the rounds from Amritsar, Sangrur and Jalandhar (reserve) seats respectively, said party sources.

Last month, the BJP had announced that it would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on its own in Punjab, indicating an end to the negotiations for re-stitching an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.

At that time, Mr Badal had said that principles are more important for his party “than the number game”.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had walked out of the BJP-led NDA in September 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws. The two parties had formed an alliance in 1996. In 2019, the SAD and the BJP won two Lok Sabha seats each in Punjab.

Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will take place on June 1.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Senior Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal today objected to the proposed auction of a model of Golden Temple gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it was a “sacred symbol of the gift and blessings of the Akal Purakh and the Guru Sahibs and auctioning it would be grossly disrespectful”.

“It would also hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community,” he added in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The model is part of the fifth e-auction of gifts received by PM Modi and started earlier this month. Also going under the hammer are replicas of the Sun Temple in Gujarat’s Modhera, the Vijay Stambh of Chittorgarh and a painting of a ghat of Varanasi. altogether 900 items will be auctioned, some of which have been displayed at the National Gallery of Modern Arts.

Declaring he was “deeply saddened” by the inclusion of the “sacred model of the Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib” he said it was presented to PM Modi by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
“This model was presented as a sacred symbol of the gift and blessings of the Akal Purakh and the Guru Sahibs… My humble request to the Prime Minister to stop this auction immediately. If the government feels unable to handle this sacred and priceless gift, then I request that this sacred symbol be kindly handed back to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee,” his post read.

The Prime Minister had announced the exhibition on X, saying the objects on display are a “testament to the rich culture, tradition and artistic heritage of India”.

“Starting today, an exhibition at NGMA will display a wide range of gifts and mementoes given to me over the recent past. Presented to me during various programmes and events across India, they are a testament to the rich culture, tradition and artistic heritage of India,” he had posted on October 2.