Man Opens Fire at Sukhbir Singh Badal During Penance at Golden Temple

Amritsar: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal narrowly escaped an attack this morning when a man opened fire at him while he was performing penance at the entrance of the Golden Temple. The shooter, identified as Narain Singh from Gurdaspur, was quickly overpowered by bystanders before being arrested. No injuries were reported.

The incident occurred as the 62-year-old former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab was serving a religious punishment ('tankhah') pronounced by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. The punishment involves performing 'sewadar' duties, including washing dishes and cleaning shoes at the Golden Temple and other gurdwaras, for mistakes committed during his party's tenure in power from 2007 to 2017.

At the time of the attack, Mr. Badal, dressed in the blue uniform of a sewadar, was seated in a wheelchair with a spear in one hand. His leg is in a cast. Security footage shows Narain Singh approaching the gate, pulling out a gun, and attempting to fire. A vigilant bystander intervened, preventing the attack from succeeding.

Police are investigating the motive behind the attack. According to security sources, Narain Singh is reportedly linked to the Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa and has a history of involvement in high-profile criminal cases, including the 2004 Burail jailbreak.

Mr. Badal had recently admitted mistakes before the Akal Takht, including his party's decision to pardon Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case. The Akal Takht declared him 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) and handed down the punishment nearly three months ago.

Further details on the case are awaited as the investigation continues.