Attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Targeted at Gurudwara

The attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has caused a stir in political and religious circles. At around 1: 45 pm on Thursday, a man dressed as a Nihang attacked him with a kirpan on the premises of Gurudwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mukat in Nanded, Maharashtra. Security personnel overpowered the attacker. Badal received a minor injury on his hand and was taken to hospital. However, the reason behind the attack or the motive of the attacker is yet to be officially confirmed. The PM reportedly spoke to Sukhbir Badal's wife Harsimrat Kaur over the phone to enquire about his health. Badal's attacker has been identified as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh, originally from Pune. The accused was a lawyer in a Pune court. He has been serving at the Mata Sahib Gurudwara in Mugat near Nanded for the past 2 years. Police arrested Jaspal on the spot and are investigating a second suicide attack on Sukhbir Badal on the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar before 2024.