New Delhi:

Shiromani Akali Dal veteran Sukhbir Singh Badal – the object of an attempted assassination Wednesday at the Golden Temple in Amritsar – has thanked the policemen who saved his life.

“Risking your life to save someone else is not an easy thing… Assistant Sub Inspector Jasveer Singh and Assistant Sub Inspector Hira Singh… my family and I cannot repay the courage and loyalty shown by them yesterday,” the former Deputy Chief Minister said in a post on X Thursday evening.

“May God bless them with long life, good health and all happiness.”

ਕਿਸੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਨ ਬਚਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਆਪਣੀ ਜਾਨ ਦਾਅ ‘ਤੇ ਲਾਉਣੀ ਕੋਈ ਸੌਖੀ ਗੱਲ ਨਹੀਂ।

ਏ ਐਸ ਆਈ ਜਸਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਤੇ ਏ ਐਸ ਆਈ ਹੀਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ, ਦੋਵੇਂ ਸ. ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਬਾਦਲ ਸਾਬ੍ਹ ਦੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਹੀ ਸਾਡੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਦਾ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਹਨ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਬੀਤੇ ਕੱਲ੍ਹ ਵਿਖਾਈ ਦਲੇਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਵਫਾਦਾਰੀ ਦਾ ਮੁੱਲ ਮੈਂ ਅਤੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਸਾਰੀ ਉਮਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਮੋੜ… pic.twitter.com/3x7FB93cuJ

— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) December 5, 2024

Undaunted by his near-escape, Mr Badal was back serving penance today, this time at the Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib.

READ | Day After Assassination Bid, Sukhbir Badal Performs ‘Seva’ 

Mr Badal, 62, was shot at while serving penance ordered by the Akal Takht, the Sikhs’ highest temporal body. He had been found guilty of religious misconduct when the Akalis were in power in Punjab, from 2007 to 2017, and declared a ‘tankhaiya’, or one guilty of religious misconduct.

He was sentenced to serve food and clean dishes and toilets in gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple, and began his first day as a ‘sevadar’ Tuesday. Dressed in blue, he sat in a wheelchair, with a plaque around his neck and a spear in hand, and his first act of contrition was washing vessels.

That day passed uneventfully. But police now believe the shooter who targeted him Wednesday – Narain Singh Chaura – visited the gurudwara then too, possibly on a reconnaissance mission.

READ | Man Who Shot At Sukhbir Badal Seen At Golden Temple A Day Earlier

On Wednesday Chaura opened fire from close range – a 9mm handgun was seized – but miraculously missed, and was overpowered by the police personnel. Amritsar Police chief Gurpreet Singh Bhullar praised the officers for their swift action, making it clear their alertness had foiled the murder bid.

Videos shared by news agency ANI captured the dramatic moments leading up to the firing.

VIDEO | How Shooter Approaches Sukhbir Badal, How He Reacts To Gunshot

Chaura is seen approaching his target slowly before he quickly pulls out his weapon. But he isn’t quick enough and a guard standing near Sukhbir Badal is the first to raise the alarm.

He manages to grab the attacker’s arm and push it upwards. Chaura is only able to fire one round, which misses everyone and hits the wall. And, seconds later, the police grab him and take him away.

READ | “Khalistani Links…”: Ex-Akali Dal MP, Others Slam Attack On Sukhbir Badal

The attempted killing triggered furious reactions across the political spectrum, particularly since it later emerged that Chaura has links with a 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.

READ | “Man Who Shot At Sukhbir Badal Was A Terrorist”: Senior Punjab Cop

Since then, police sources have also said Chaura has links with Pakistani terrorist networks and was involved in smuggling weapons and explosives into Punjab in the 1980s and 1990s.

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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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