Sukhbir Badal discharged after surgery, links attack to disturbing peace in Punjab

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday alleged that the attack on him at a gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded was part of a “mission” to disturb peace in Punjab.

Badal made the allegation after being discharged from hospital following surgery on his right hand, which was injured in Thursday’s attack.

The SAD chief said attempts were being made to seize control of the situation in Punjab and disrupt its peace, something he would not allow as president of the party.

Referring to an earlier attempt on his life at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 2024, Badal said he had been targeted twice at Sikhism’s holiest sites—first at the Golden Temple and then at Takht Hazur Sahib.

In the 2024 incident, a man attempted to shoot Badal while he was performing religious penance at the entrance of the Golden Temple.

Badal said he was not afraid and attributed his survival in Nanded to the blessings of Guru Gobind Singh. He maintained that the Akali Dal was prepared to make any sacrifice to preserve communal harmony and brotherhood in Punjab.

The latest attack occurred on the premises of Mata Sahib Gurdwara in the Hazur Sahib area on Thursday, 13 August where a man dressed as a Nihang allegedly struck Badal with a kirpan. The assailant was taken into custody shortly afterwards.

Badal was seen walking inside a hospital with his injured right hand wrapped in a cloth following the surgery.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were among the political leaders who called Badal’s wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, to enquire about his condition.

SAD vice-president and Punjab Core Committee member Sanjeev Talwar described the incident as a direct attack on Sikhism. He alleged that those seeking to undermine Hindu-Sikh unity could be attempting to push Punjab back towards the turmoil of 1984.

The party’s chief spokesperson, Arshdeep Singh Kler, also alleged that “anti-Sikh forces” were behind repeated attempts to target Badal.

With IANS inputs