Akal Takht Jathedar condemns attack on Sukhbir Badal

Chandigarh, Aug 13 (IANS) Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Thursday strongly condemned the life‑threatening attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal with a sharp‑edged weapon by a Nihang at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Dewan in Nanded, Maharashtra.

The accused reportedly attacked Badal using a kirpan. However, Badal is out of danger and undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Nanded.

The Jathedar said such an incident at a “gurdwara sahib, where devotees gather to pray for the welfare of all, is highly unfortunate and condemnable.”

He added that “a true Sikh cannot attack anyone who has come to pay obeisance at a gurdwara,” stressing that such acts hurt the dignity of gurdwaras and the image of the Sikh community.

The Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs. Badal sustained an injury to his hand and was rushed to hospital, where his condition is stable. A video showed the SAD chief walking with a cloth wrapped around his right hand. His driver was also injured in the attack.

Earlier, former Deputy Chief Minister Badal was attacked on December 4, 2024, while performing Sewadar duties at the gate of Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Reacting to the latest incident, SAD senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema told the media that this was distressing news and the second life‑threatening attack on Badal within a short span of time. “This represents a massive intelligence and security failure. Had the attack in Amritsar been properly investigated at the time, perhaps this second attack would not have happened,” he said.

Another Akali leader, Bikram Singh Majithia, said the attack occurred owing to intelligence failure.

“Investigating agencies should learn a lesson from this incident, and they should get to the bottom of it,” he added.

–IANS

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