Khalistani terrorist opens fire at SAD's Sukhbir Badal outside Golden Temple, party demands judicial probe

Badal, seated in a wheelchair, was shot at while performing 'sewadar' duty outside Amritsar's Golden Temple. The bullet struck a wall, leaving him unharmed. The shooter was apprehended on the spot.
People catch a man, center, who allegedly opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal while the latter was performing the duty of 'sewadar' outside the Golden Temple, in Amritsar.
People catch a man, center, who allegedly opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal while the latter was performing the duty of 'sewadar' outside the Golden Temple, in Amritsar.Photo | PTI
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CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal narrowly escaped an attempt on his life when a man opened fire while he was performing 'sewadar' duty outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday. Badal escaped unhurt as the bullet struck a nearby wall.

The shooter has been identified as Narain Singh Chaura, a former member of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a Khalistani terrorist organization.

Footage from the scene of the crime showed Chaura walking slowly towards Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, and pulling out a gun from his pocket.

He proceeded to shoot at Badal while he and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa were performing 'tankhah' (religious punishment) duty pronounced by the Sikh clergy Akal Takht on December 2.

According to sources, the incident occurred around 9:30 am when Chaura, just a few meters away from Badal, drew a pistol and attempted to shoot him. However, security personnel in plain clothes overpowered Chaura before he could fire. The bullet hit a wall.

Police officers Jasbir Singh and Parminder Singh helped overpower Chaura, preventing any harm. Chaura was arrested at the scene, and the weapon was recovered. A case has been registered against him.

Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed that a detailed security deployment was in place, with 175 plainclothes police personnel on duty, led by an AIG-level officer.

Bhullar credited the timely intervention of the police personnel, including Rashpal Singh, who identified Chaura and followed him as he attempted to fire at Badal. "We will conduct a thorough investigation to cover all angles," Bhullar said, adding that the situation was swiftly brought under control.

Special DGP (Law and Order, Punjab) Arpit Shukla said that the SAD chief is under Z-plus security, with protection from both Punjab Police and central forces. He said the incident was thwarted as there was a huge deployment of police force in and around the temple.

"Badal had gone to do sewa at golden temple at 8.45 AM he reached and at 9.30 AM, Chaura appeared their with weapon and due to the alertness of the police officers present their this attempt to kill Badal was foiled, as huge deployment of police force in and around golden temple in plain clothes," Shukla said.

Shotter, accused in multiple terror cases

The assailant Chaura, a history sheeter, is wanted in nearly 30 cases, including one under the Explosives Act filed on May 8, 2010, at the Civil Lines Police Station in Amritsar.

He is also accused in cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ropar districts. Chaura was arrested on February 28, 2013, in Jalalabad village, Tarn Taran, and was later released on bail.

Chaura is allegedly responsible for masterminding the Burail Jail break in Chandigarh, where assassins of Beant Singh escaped two decades ago. He was also implicated in the Burail jailbreak case.

Chaura had crossed over to Pakistan in 1984 and played a significant role in smuggling large consignments of weapons and explosives into India. While in Pakistan, he reportedly authored a book on guerrilla warfare and "seditious" literature.

Akal Takth, political parties condemn incident

Giani Raghbir Singh, the Jathedar (high priest) of Akal Takht, strongly condemned the incident and demanded the state government thoroughly investigate the matter to expose the miscreants and their motives.

He stated that it was an attack on a person who was performing 'sewa' at the Golden Temple complex, as mandated by the Akal Takht.

SAD Spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema condemned the incident, criticising the security lapse and calling for a judicial inquiry.

"While I appreciate the swift action of the security personnel, we have no faith in the state government. The conspiracy behind this incident must be revealed," he told reporters.

Cheema also questioned why Chaura had been roaming near the Golden Temple for the past two days. "What was the police waiting for? Why wasn’t he arrested earlier?" he asked.

Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said that the attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal outside Golden Temple Amritsar, is deeply unfortunate and unequivocally condemnable.

"The incident is a stark reminder of the need for responsible discourse and vigilance in Punjab. It is imperative that we, as a society, reflect on the underlying causes and ensure that our responses are measured and constructive," Bajwa said.

"For too long, I have emphasised the importance of addressing the developments in Punjab with a profound sense of responsibility and foresight. This incident should serve as a wake-up call for all stakeholders political leaders, social organizations, and the public to come together and foster an environment of dialogue and peace," he added.

"We must collectively work towards ensuring that Punjab remains a land of mutual respect, understanding, and tranquility, in keeping with its rich heritage.I urge the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation while also calling for restraint and unity among all sections of society during this sensitive time," the Congress leader said.

Senior BJP leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also condemned the attempted murder on Badal, calling it a "violation of Sikh Maryada."

"Badal had sought forgiveness from the Akal Takht and was undergoing the punishment pronounced on him, inside the Golden Temple complex. Those behind the attack on the Akali leader had violated the Sikh Maryada," he said, adding that Punjab "has already suffered a lot during the 1980s and 1990s and it cannot afford another dark era."

Notably, the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had on Monday conferred 'tankhah' on SAD members Sukhbir Badal, senior leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Sukhbir's brother-in-law.

The leaders were pronounced 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht for mistakes committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

The Sikh clergy directed had Badal and others to serve as a 'sewadar', wash dishes, clean shoes and toilets at the Golden Temple, three months after declaring him guilty.

Badal has been wearing blue clothes since Tuesday to signify his position as 'sewadar' and a plague around his neck acknowledging his 'misdeeds'. He held a spear in one hand and was seated on a wheelchair as he had recently fractured his leg.

Dhindsa, too, was conferred the same punishment. He was also seen in a wheelchair due to old age. The two were positioned near the entrance of the Golden Temple and served as 'sewadar' for one hour.

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