On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Narain Singh Chaura, a former terrorist, opened fire on Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader, outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Badal, who was performing penance for past mistakes, escaped unharmed. The shooter was quickly subdued by security personnel and bystanders. Badal, who was seated in a wheelchair due to a leg fracture, was at the entrance of the Golden Temple, dressed as a ‘sewadar’ and engaged in religious penance when the attack occurred.
Police identified the attacker as Narain Singh Chaura, a former terrorist and criminal. “Narain Singh Chaura, the shooter, has been arrested and the weapon recovered. An FIR has been filed, and we will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure no aspect of this incident is overlooked,” said Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, the Police Commissioner of Amritsar.
Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema condemned the attack, pointing to the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab. “While Mr. Badal is safe and the attacker has been apprehended, this incident highlights the poor law and order in Punjab. I urge Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take responsibility for the state’s security and resign immediately,” Cheema stated. He also called for a high-level judicial inquiry, expressing doubts about the state’s government. “We suspect a larger conspiracy aimed at undermining the Akali Dal leadership. It’s not just about the shooter; we must expose the full plot behind this attack.”
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On December 2, the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh religious authority, imposed religious penance on Sukhbir Singh Badal and other Akali Dal leaders for their involvement in controversial events during their tenure in the SAD-led government from 2007 to 2017. Badal was ordered to perform various tasks, including cleaning utensils and shoes of devotees, after admitting his mistakes, such as the pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda’s Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2007 blasphemy case and the failure to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incident in Bargari.
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