SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a dagger in Nanded. He called it a conspiracy by anti-national forces to destabilise Punjab and India, vowing his party would not let them succeed. The attacker has been arrested.
‘Attack to Destabilise Punjab and India,’ says Badal
A day after being attacked with a dagger at a gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said that the attack was done to “destabilise” Punjab and India, vowing that his party would not allow these “anti-national” forces to succeed.
Speaking to reporters on his arrival at Delhi airport, Badal said, “Anti-national and anti-Punjab elements wanted to destabilise the state of Punjab and India. Akali Dal will not let this happen. Like my father, we always fought these elements. And we will also fight them.”
Details of the Attack and Arrest
Badal suffered a wound of around five centimetres on his right forearm after the dagger at a gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded on Thursday, District Collector Rahul Kardele said. A Special Protection Unit police officer accompanying him was also injured while attempting to protect him.
Both Badal and the police officer are stable and out of danger, District Collector said. The alleged attacker was taken into police custody and further legal action is underway, police said. The accused was identified as Jaspal Singh, and Nanded Superintendent of Police Nilabh Rohan said he was approximately 60-62 years old and had been working as a sevadar at the gurdwara for around two years.
‘Larger Conspiracy’ for 2027 Polls
Speaking to reporters after being discharged from the hospital earlier today, Badal had described the attack as part of a “larger conspiracy” aimed at seizing control of the political situation in Punjab ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. “Their mission is to take control of the situation in Punjab and disturb the peace, which, as President of Akali Dal, I will never allow. Both times they attacked me in the holiest places,” he had said, referring to an earlier attempt on his life at Golden Temple in Amritsar in December 2024, when he was targeted in an attempted shooting.
‘Never Been Scared’: Badal Remains Undeterred
Asserting that he remained undeterred, Badal said, “I have never been scared, nor am I afraid now. Shiromani Akali Dal is committed to the brotherhood and pride of Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal can make any sacrifice, but Punjab’s progress and communal and religious harmony are our top priority.” (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)