In Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal narrowly evaded a shooting attack. Reports indicate that an individual fired at him at the gate of the Golden Temple.
Thanks to the vigilance of those present, a major disaster was averted. The attacker was detained on the spot. The police have taken the alleged assailant into custody and have recovered a pistol from him. The accused is said to be Narayan Singh Chawra, associated with Dal Khalsa.
Sources reveal that the assailant is recognized as a former member of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). It is believed he went to Pakistan in 1984 and was involved in smuggling weapons and explosives into Punjab from Pakistan. Allegedly, the attacker has authored a book on guerrilla warfare. He is also a suspect in the Burail jailbreak case and has served time in a Punjab prison. It is reported that he scouted the location a day before carrying out the attack today.
Notably, former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was at the Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara, also known as the Golden Temple, enduring his imposed sentence since Tuesday. He arrived at the gurudwara on a wheelchair with a sign around his neck declaring his culpability.
On the first day of his sentence, Badal volunteered in the gurudwara kitchen, wearing a traditional sevadar attire, and wielded a spear as a symbolic guard. Due to a fracture in his leg, he has been on a wheelchair during his service duties.
What sentence was given to Sukhbir Badal?
The supreme authority of the Sikh community, Shri Akal Takht Sahib, pronounced a sentence on Sukhbir Badal. He is to serve at the gurudwara by washing dishes and acting as a custodian. He will also be responsible for cleaning public toilets on the premises of Shri Darbar Sahib. The Jathedar of Shri Akal Takht has meted out this sentence to Badal and his party leaders for religious infractions committed during the Akali Dal’s governance from 2007 to 2017. Akali leaders are compensating for their offenses through these services.
What are the accusations?
The Akal Takht has found Sukhbir Badal and his cabinet guilty. They are accused of aiding in granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim in a blasphemy case, leveraging Badal's influence to retract a complaint against Ram Rahim. They did not take action in the sacrilege case of the Shri Guru Granth Sahib and used community funds for political advertising. The appointment of DGP Sumedh Saini was also condemned as religiously unlawful.
