A second attack on Sukhbir Badal: Is Punjab taking a dangerous turn?

The attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal inside a gurdwara in Nanded on August 13 has once again exposed concerns over security in Punjab’s political landscape. With the 2027 Punjab Assembly election months away, an assailant managed to approach the Z+ protectee and attack him with a sharp-edged weapon. Badal sustained an injury to his right forearm, while a police officer was also wounded while intervening to protect him.

The attacker, identified as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh of Pune, had been serving as a sewadar at the gurdwara in Nanded for about two years. He holds degrees in commerce and law and, according to police, has no known criminal record or links to any gang. He was dressed in Nihang attire and allegedly attacked Badal with a kirpan.

The key question now is whether Jaspal Singh acted alone or was part of a larger conspiracy. So far, there is no clear answer. Despite prolonged interrogation, investigators have been unable to establish a concrete motive. The Nanded Police are being assisted by the Anti-Terrorism Squad and Intelligence Bureau, underscoring the seriousness of the investigation.

This is not the first time Badal has been targeted. On December 4, 2024, former militant Narain Singh Chaura opened fire at him outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar while Badal was performing religious service as part of the tankhah (religious punishment) imposed on him. A security personnel intervened, deflecting the weapon, and Chaura was overpowered before Badal was injured.

The subsequent legal course of the case has also become a point of discussion. Chaura, who was arrested immediately and booked under attempt-to-murder, criminal conspiracy and Arms Act provisions, remained in judicial custody for more than three months. On March 25, 2025, an Additional Sessions Judge in Amritsar granted him bail, noting that he had already spent considerable time in custody and that the trial could take time to conclude. He was directed to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh with a surety of the same amount.

The second attack has drawn condemnation from leaders across the political spectrum. More importantly, it has raised broader concerns about the growing space for extremist and violent elements in Punjab’s political landscape. When political disagreements, religious grievances and historical anger begin to translate into physical attacks, the consequences extend well beyond the individual target.

Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, administrator of the Takht Hazur Sahib board, put the issue in sharper perspective. Violent acts inside a holy shrine complex, he said, undermine the dignity, religious sanctity and peace of sacred spaces.

Sukhbir’s Nanded visit was not simply a personal pilgrimage. Accompanied by his family, he paid obeisance at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib and met Jathedar Giani Kulwant Singh. The visit also carried political and Panthic significance as the SAD seeks to rebuild its support base ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election.

His meeting with the Takht Jathedar came against the backdrop of the controversy over the Maharashtra government’s proposal to replace the 1956 law governing the Nanded gurdwara board. The proposal had faced strong opposition from the Takht, the Panj Pyare and several Sikh organisations, which passed a gurmata opposing the move. The Maharashtra government subsequently put the proposal on hold and constituted a panel to consult Sikh stakeholders.

Whether Sukhbir’s outreach will translate into electoral gains remains uncertain. But the attack has dramatically altered the narrative around his Nanded visit. What was intended as an exercise in religious and Panthic outreach has instead highlighted the potentially volatile intersection of religion, politics and unresolved grievances.

For Punjab, the larger question is whether such violence remains an isolated act or begins to acquire a place in the language of political expression — and whether it can be prevented from becoming normalised.