Amritsar, India
Sukhbir Singh Badal, senior Punjab politician and former deputy chief minister of the north Indian state, faced a gun attack on Wednesday (Dec 4) when a man shot at him while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader was serving penance outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Badal was not hurt in the attack, and his attacker was immediately overpowered by people present at the spot.
A video of the incident is going viral on social media. Watch it here:
VIDEO | Punjab: A man opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the entrance of Golden Temple, Amritsar. The person was overpowered by people present on the spot. More details are awaited.#PunjabNews #SukhbirSinghBadal
(Full video available on PTI… pic.twitter.com/LC55kCV864
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 4, 2024
What happened to Sukhbir Badal?
Badal was sitting in his wheelchair outside Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on the second day of his penance when the incident happened. In the video, he can be seen in blue 'sewadar' cloths, holding a spear with a small board hung around his neck acknowledging his "misdeeds" when the attacker takes a shot at him but misses due to the timely intervention of a man present there.
In a statement, police official Harpal Singh said, "There were proper security arrangements here...Sukhbir ji was properly covered (given cover)".
He identified the attacker as Narayan Singh Chaura and said that the assailant "was here yesterday as well...Today too, he first paid obeisance to the Guru..."
He said nobody was hurt by the bullet, which missed Badal, hitting a wall instead.
Videos of the bullet pock and the empty bullet shell are also being shared online.
#WATCH | Punjab: Visuals from Golden Temple in Amritsar where a bullet was fired at SAD leaders, including party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. pic.twitter.com/FsKOzmvcxt
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024
#WATCH | Punjab: Visuals of the empty bullet shell fired at Golden Temple premises in Amritsar where SAD leaders, including party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, are offering 'seva' under the religious punishments pronounced for them by Sri Akal Takht Sahib, on 2nd December. pic.twitter.com/RGSt6Mis6t
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024
SAD leader calls for high-level judicial enquiry
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema, the former Punjab education minister, in a statement to the press, expressed his gratitude that Badal wasn't hurt and called for a high-level judicial enquiry into the incident.
#WATCH | Shots fired at Golden Temple | SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema says, "...First of all, I would like to thank Guru Nanak. Jako Rakhe Saaiyan, Maar Sake Na Koy. 'Sevaks' were offering 'seva' here. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was sitting by the Guru Ram Das Dwar as… pic.twitter.com/r7ntTcCA01
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024
(With inputs from agencies)