Sukhbir Badal 'fine': SAD after man in 'Nihang' attire attacks him in Maharashtra gurdwara

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday said party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was fine and in "high spirits" after a man in a 'Nihang' attire attacked him with a knife inside a gurdwara in Maharashtra's Nanded.

According to a local official in Nanded, 64-year-old Badal is out of danger. He was taken to a hospital where he received two to three stitches on his right hand.

Senior SAD leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, termed the attack an "intelligence failure" and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

Badal, the former deputy chief minister of Punjab, was attacked by the man around 1.45 pm with a kirpan (ceremonial dagger worn by Sikhs) when he was visiting the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat, according to the Maharashtra Police.

Nanded SP Neelabh Rohan told PTI, "A Nihang (member of a martial order of Sikhs) attacked Badal with a kirpan inside the gurdwara.” The assailant has been taken into custody.

SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said the man, dressed in 'Nihang' (member of a martial order of Sikhs) attire, attempted to attack Badal but was stopped by the security guards deployed with the SAD chief.

Badal is a Z+ security protectee.

Police officer Santosh Kendre, who was part of the special protection unit, was injured while trying to protect Badal.

Visuals showed Badal walking inside a building with a cloth wrapped around his right hand.

The SAD chief was accompanied by his wife and Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal at the time of the incident.

"Badal sustained a minor injury on his arm and is undergoing treatment at a hospital. He is completely fine and in 'Chardi Kala' (high spirits)," Kler said earlier.

Kler said that since the incident took place in Maharashtra, the state police will investigate the attack and determine under whose conspiracy Badal was targeted.

Alleging that 'panthic leaders' were being targeted continuously, the SAD spokesperson said, "Some 'panth virodhi' (anti-panth) forces are hatching such conspiracies."

The party chief had faced an attack earlier as well. The Almighty had saved him then and again on Thursday, he said.

Bikram Singh Majithia, senior party leader Badal's brother-in-law, demanded a CBI probe into the attack.

Speaking to PTI over phone, Majithia said, "It is a total intelligence failure. We need to realise that no one attacks at 'Guru ghar'. Those who are atheists do such acts."

He said the entire Badal family was visiting Maharashtra from August 12 to 14.

Majithia added that he was also supposed to go to Maharashtra but he could not because of some engagements.

Senior SAD leader Virsa Singh Valtoha strongly condemned the attack on the party chief and demanded a thorough probe.

He said, "There should be a thorough probe. Who are the forces behind such an attack..."

This was the second attack on Badal.

In December 2024, former terrorist Narain Singh Chaura opened fire at Badal from close range outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar but missed his target. He was overpowered by a plainclothes policeman.

During the melee, the bullet hit the shrine's entrance wall behind Badal, who escaped unhurt.

Badal was then performing the duty of a 'sewadar' outside the Golden Temple as part of his penance for "mistakes" committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

The audacious attack was captured on the cameras of media persons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover Badal's penance.

Chaura had walked towards Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, and pulled out a gun from his pocket.