NEW DELHI: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party president Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon near a gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded on Thursday (Aug 13), leaving him injured and prompting his security personnel to intervene. Badal was taken to a private hospital for treatment and was reported to be out of danger.
The incident took place near Mata Sahib Gurdwara at the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib complex, where Badal was present when the assailant moved towards him. Initial reports said the attacker used a sharp-edged weapon, with Badal sustaining an injury to his hand.
A police personnel from the security detail was also injured while trying to stop the attacker. The assailant was detained by police, and an investigation was launched to establish what led to the attack.
Badal, a former Punjab deputy chief minister, was rushed to a private hospital after the incident. Early reports did not indicate any life-threatening injury, although further details about his medical condition and the circumstances of the assault were awaited.
The attack comes at a politically sensitive time for Badal and the Akali Dal. He remains one of the most prominent figures in Punjab’s Sikh political establishment, while the party has been trying to regain political ground after a series of setbacks in the state.
The Nanded incident also puts security around senior Sikh political leaders under fresh scrutiny.
Badal had himself survived an assassination attempt in December 2024, when a gunman opened fire on him while he was performing religious service outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
He escaped unharmed after a police officer intervened and pushed the assailant’s weapon away.
Thursday’s attack was different in nature but again occurred at a Sikh religious site, raising immediate questions about how the assailant managed to approach a senior political leader inside or near the gurdwara complex.
Police are expected to examine security arrangements at the site, the movements of the attacker and whether he acted alone. The motive had not been established in the initial reports.
The incident has also drawn attention because Nanded’s Takht Sri Hazur Sahib is among the most important Sikh religious centres outside Punjab and attracts devotees from across India.
For the Akali Dal, the immediate concern is Badal’s recovery and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The police investigation will now determine whether it was an isolated act or whether there was a wider motive behind the assault. - The Statesman/ANN
