Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was reportedly attacked by a Nihang on Thursday near Mata Sahib Gurdwara at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra.
One person has been detained in connection with the attack, which took place around 1.45 pm, an official told PTI.
Party sources said Badal was attacked by the assailant with a sharp-edged weapon around noon while he was on his way to the gurdwara. He sustained an injury to his hand after the attacker approached him and allegedly tried to stab him. Security personnel intervened swiftly, overpowered the assailant and prevented further harm.
Badal was rushed to a private hospital for treatment following the incident. A security personnel deployed with him was also injured in the attack.
Earlier in the day, Badal had visited Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded with his family. His wife and Shiromani Akali Dal MP from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, was with him when the attack took place.
A video recorded after the attack showed Badal walking with a saffron cloth wrapped around his right hand.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought a report from the Nanded Superintendent of Police regarding the attack.
Fadnavis also ordered an inquiry into the motive behind the attack. The Chief Minister’s Office said Fadnavis spoke to Badal over the phone and enquired about his health. It added that Badal’s condition was stable.
This is the second time Badal has been attacked publicly. In December 2024, former terrorist Narain Singh Chaura had opened fire at Sukhbir Singh Badal outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar but missed the target.
The audacious attack was captured on cameras of media persons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover the second day of Badal's penance for "mistakes" committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.