Punjab Newsline | Nanded/Gurugram
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has been shifted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram following the attack on him at Gurdwara Mata Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra. Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia personally drove Badal to the hospital after his discharge from Nanded.
Badal had undergone surgery and was discharged from a Nanded hospital on Thursday afternoon. Doctors said he sustained a 5-centimetre deep cut on his arm caused by a kirpan, for which 8 to 9 stitches were administered.
The attack took place on August 13, when accused Nihang Jaspal Singh allegedly pulled out a kirpan as soon as Sukhbir Badal appeared before him and attempted to strike him in the chest. According to preliminary information, Badal instinctively raised his hand to shield himself, preventing the blow from hitting his chest. The weapon instead struck his arm, causing the injury.
During police interrogation, the accused made a startling claim, saying that “Waheguru had ordered him” to attack Sukhbir Badal. He told investigators that the thought came to him while he was praying inside the gurdwara. Jaspal Singh further claimed that the attack was spontaneous and that no outsider had assisted him in carrying it out.
Speaking to the media after leaving the hospital, Sukhbir Badal said he would not allow Punjab to descend into unrest.
“I will never allow disturbance to spread in Punjab. Such a thing was never allowed when my father was Chief Minister, and I will not let it happen now. No matter how many attacks are made on me, I will not be afraid. One who has the blessings of the Guru cannot be harmed,” he said.
The incident has triggered strong reactions from political and religious circles, with SAD leaders demanding a thorough investigation into the security lapse and the circumstances leading to the attack. Police are continuing their probe and are examining CCTV footage and witness statements from the gurdwara premises.
