Sukhbir Singh Badal, the leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal and a former deputy chief minister of Punjab, was attacked with a sharp object on Thursday inside a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, according to police.
Badal was attending Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat when the incident happened at 1:45 p.m. Shortly after the event, authorities detained Nihang Jaspal Singh Tejpal, who was identified as the attacker.
Badal was sent to a private hospital for treatment after sustaining a slight injury to his right hand. He is safe and receiving treatment at Yashosai Hospital.
ATTACKER DETAINED, BADAL INJURED
Sukhbir Singh Badal's hand injury from the kirpan attack is being treated by a team of three prominent surgeons, according to doctors at Yashosai Hospital. They added that once his blood pressure was discovered to be raised, surgery was being performed under local anesthesia.
The Inspector General of Police, the Civil Surgeon, Superintendent of Police Nilabh Rohan, Nanded Collector Rahul Kardile, and other senior district officials were at the hospital to keep an eye on the situation.
As part of Badal's security detail, Inspector Santosh Kendre was also attacked and sustained minor injuries while attempting to defend him.
Soon after the attack, authorities arrested Jaspal Singh Tejpal, the attacker. The attacker is being questioned by police, who are also looking into the matter further.
Before allegedly hitting Sukhbir Singh Badal as the Akali Dal leader exited after paying respects, the accused, 62-year-old Pune lawyer Jaspal Singh, had been working at the Mata Sahib Gurdwara near Nanded for two years.
The attack happened on the grounds of the gurdwara. Parkash Singh Badal, the former chief minister of Punjab, is the father of Sukhbir Singh Badal.
PM Modi asks about health, and Fadnavis requests a report.
Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra, requested a thorough report from the Nanded Superintendent of Police after the occurrence. Officials said that the accused was taken into custody right after following the assault.
Additionally, the Chief Minister instructed police to look into the assault's motivation. Sukhbir Singh Badal's condition is steady, according to officials.
Devendra Fadnavis called Sukhbir Singh Badal after the attack to ask after his health, according to the Maharashtra CMO.
Party leaders said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Badal's wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, to ask about his well-being following the incident.
CONDEMN ASSAULT BY BJP AND SAD LEADERS
The attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal, the leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal, was denounced by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who called it "extremely disturbing" and stated that violence resulting from ideological disagreements was intolerable in a democracy.
He claimed to have called Badal to find out how he was doing and to wish him a quick recovery.
Yogesh Kadam, the Minister of State for Home in Maharashtra, told India The administration would look into whether Sukhbir Singh Badal's security had been compromised today.
He said that the Superintendent of Police's office had taken all required safety measures and that security had been supplied in compliance with the established procedure. He did, however, add that in order to ascertain how the incident took place, officials would investigate the conditions on the ground.
Sanjeev Talwar, national vice-president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, described the incident as a major security breach, claiming that Sukhbir Singh Badal was assaulted en route to the gurdwara to offer prayers. He claimed that Badal had hand injuries and that his security guard had been hurt while defending him.
Talwar saw the attack as an assault on Punjab's unity and integrity in addition to Badal. Given that Badal is a former deputy chief minister of Punjab with Z+ security clearance, he said the incident raised major issues about the security procedures.
The incident was denounced by BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu, who said that violence had no place in a democratic society and that it was totally unacceptable. He acknowledged that political disagreements were a normal aspect of democracy, but he maintained that they could never be used as an excuse for violence.
Punjab has already endured years of violence and militancy, according to Bittu, who emphasized that this time should never come again. He urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to guaranty a comprehensive and unbiased probe into the event and wished Sukhbir Singh Badal a swift recovery.
Additionally, he urged people to preserve the rule of law, democracy, and peace.
Kewal Singh Dhillon, the leader of the Punjab BJP, also denounced the assault and expressed his grave worry about the Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib tragedy.
"I pray that he recovers quickly and feels better. No community or democracy should tolerate violence, especially not on the hallowed grounds of our esteemed Takht Sahiban. We learn about peace, service, introspection, and everyone's well-being from the sacred site of Sri Hazur Sahib. He tweeted, "Such a violent incident at this sacred site is deeply distressing and utterly condemnable."
Dhillon remarked that violence had no place, especially at one of Sikhism's hallowed Takhts, and wished Sukhbir Singh Badal a swift recovery.
BADAL'S SECOND ATTACK IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS
Former Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist and Khalistani militant Narain Singh Chaura opened fire on Badal at the Golden Temple's gate in December 2024. As part of a religious penalty at the time, Badal was working as a "sewadar" at the temple entrance.
In the 2024 shooting, Badal was uninjured.
