New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday enquired about the well-being of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was attacked by a Nihang at a gurudwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded earlier in the day.
The Prime Minister made the enquiries in a telephonic conversation with Badal’s wife and MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, sources said.
The incident took place when Badal visited the Mata Sahib Gurdwara in the Hazur Sahib area on the outskirts of Nanded at around 11 a.m.
The Akali Dal chief was attacked by a Nihang armed with a kirpan, sources said, adding that the assailant has been taken into custody by the police.
Reacting to the incident, SAD Vice President and Member of Punjab Core Committee Sanjeev Talwar referred to the attack on Badal as “a direct attack on Sikhism”.
“Sukhbir Singh Badal wants to again raise the slogan of Hindu-Sikh unity in Punjab. I feel this could be a conspiracy by those who want to take Punjab back to 1984,” he told IANS.
SAD’s chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler condemned the incident. “Shiromani Akali Dal President Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal Sahib had gone to Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib to bow his head. When he was about to leave the gurudwara, a person dressed as a Nihang tried to attack him, but Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal Sahib’s security personnel foiled the attack.”
“However, during the attempt, Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal’s right arm was injured, and he was given medical treatment at the hospital. But I want to tell all those who love him that Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal is completely healthy and in good health,” he added.
The SAD spokesperson blamed “anti-Sikh forces” for repeated attempts to attack the party chief.
In 2024, an attempt to assassinate Badal was made while he was serving his penance at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
“I want to give a very strong message to such people that the Shiromani Akali Dal is not scared of such conspiracies,” Kler said.
He mentioned that Maharashtra Police are currently investigating the incident and appealed to the force to reveal all those involved in “conspiring the attack”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also condemned the incident.
BJP MP Tarun Chugh said: “The attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal is strongly condemnable. Such a violent incident outside a religious place is extremely unfortunate and concerning. There is no place for violence at the sacred place of the Sikh Gurus.”
Maintaining that differences between opinions and ideologies exist in politics, Chug said: “Instead of violence, dialogue and discussion are a solution for it.”
The BJP leader urged strict action against those found guilty in the incident.
–IANS
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