Former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal escaped an assassination attempt at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday after a 68-year-old man fired at him before being overpowered by a police officer, in an incident that triggered outrage, posed questions about the security setup, and threatened to trigger turmoil.
The suspect, Narain Singh Chaura, was arrested and investigations revealed that he was the mastermind of the 2004 Burail jailbreak, apart from being involved in a raft of terror cases since 1992.
Badal, who suffered a foot fracture weeks ago and is currently wheelchair-bound, was performing his second day of duty as a “sewadar” in uniform at the main entrance of the Golden Temple as part of penance prescribed to him by the Akal Takht – the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs – for “mistakes” the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government committed between 2007 and 2017.
Police said they were working to ascertain if Chaura was working as a “lone wolf” or if a larger conspiracy was at play. The attempted murder sparked national outrage, with senior political leaders condemning the incident and hitting out at the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration even as the state government commended the Punjab Police for its “swift action”.
He took his spot at 9.05am and was surrounded by 20-25 people. Chaura entered the temple complex around 9.20am. He washed his feet at an ablution tank two-and-a-half metres away from the senior SAD leader, and pulled out a pistol.
The shooter was about eight feet away from Badal when he tried to open fire, before being overpowered by an alert police officer, Jasvir Singh. Singh grabbed Chaura’s hands, who shot into the air, 7-8feet above Badal. Meanwhile, several people standing around him formed a cordon, while others began to thrash the 68-year-old shooter.
Volunteers of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), responsible for management of the gurdwara, and other police personnel snatched the man’s pistol.
Badal, on a wheelchair, continued to perform penance surrounded by dozens of people.
After wrapping up duty at the gate an hour later, he washed utensils at the shrine’s community kitchen. Later, his wife and the SAD’s Bathinda lawmaker Harsimrat Kaur Badal joined him and performed sewa there.
Other SAD leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, who were also made to atone, performed sewa at the shrine complex.
Police said that Chaura, who hails from Dera Baba Nanak town in Gurdaspur district, was spotted on CCTV footage in the Temple on Tuesday as well.
Punjab Police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the security apparatus around the temple was shored up.
As per the police and Indian media, Chaura, a resident of Dera Baba Nanak and a former terrorist, is facing various cases under the arms and explosives Acts.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami strongly condemned the attack. He said that targeting Sukhbir Singh Badal while performing religious service given by Akal Takht Sahib at this holy place is extremely saddening and immoral.
The attack carried out with a violent nature can also be termed an attack on the religious aura of Sri Harmandar Sahib. The SGPC President said that it has been the tradition of Akal Takht Sahib to take notice of any Panthic disobedience and order religious punishment, it is the duty of every Sikh to follow the same as a humble Sikh.
Badal is following the orders of Akal Takht Sahib to fulfil his tankhah (religious punishment). He said that during this time, attacking Sukhbir Singh Badal is not only an expression of anti-Panthic mentality and an inhuman act, but also a direct insult to the orders of Akal Takht Sahib. Dhami said that this attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal raises big questions about the laxity of the Punjab government and the police and the law and order situation in Punjab. He appealed to the police administration to ensure the safety of every Akali leader while fulfilling their religious service given by Akal Takht Sahib.
