Political parties across Punjab on Thursday condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal at a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, with leaders saying violence at a place of worship was unacceptable.
Condemning the incident, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu said the “attack attempt” should be condemned in the strongest terms. He said there was no place for such violence at a religious institution, and the sanctity of gurdwara sahibs must be respected.
Pannu said the Akali Dal, however, also needed to understand the sentiments that continued to prevail among the Sikh community over the sacrilege incidents of 2015.
He said the SAD formed governments five times by seeking votes in the name of the Panth, but during its tenure, incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib took place at several places in 2015. “When people came out peacefully to protest against the desecration, water cannons and even firing were used against them, resulting in the deaths of two Sikhs,” he said. The AAP leader said the pain and resentment over those incidents remained alive in the minds of Sikhs and needs to be understood. “While any attempt to attack a person must be condemned, the SAD must also recognise the emotions and grievances that emerged from the events of 2015,” he added.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said political anger cannot justify violence.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said political anger cannot justify violence.
{{/usCountry}}“The attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal is condemnable. Sikh Sangat has genuine anger over Behbal Kalan, Bargari sacrilege, the 2015 police firing, delayed justice in sacrilege cases and several other unresolved issues. But political anger cannot justify violence. Justice must come through accountability and democracy, not violence,” he said in a post on X.
The Shiromani Akali Dal demanded a CBI or high court-monitored probe into the attack on party president, calling it a “cowardly attack” and alleging a deeper conspiracy targeting ‘Panthic leaders’ coupled with grave intelligence and security failures.
Badal’s brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia said, “It is a total intelligence failure. We need to realise that no one attacks at ‘Guru ghar’. Those who are atheists do such acts.”
SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said, “Party chief is completely fine and in ‘Chardi Kala’ (high spirits,” while party leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundar and Daljit Singh Cheema demanded a high-level probe into the incident.
Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu condemned the attack and said violence was completely unacceptable.
“ Violence has no place, especially on the soil of our sacred Takhts,” Kewal Dhillon said in a post on X.
Bittu termed the incident a “cowardly attempt” on Badal’s life and a direct threat to Punjab’s peace and security. BJP national spokesperson RP Singh appealed to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to ensure that this incident is thoroughly and impartially investigated.
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said, “Places of worship are open to people from all communities and sections of society. The incident is condemnable.”
In a joint statement, leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), a breakaway faction, questioned the security arrangements.
Secretary General Gurpartap Singh Wadala and other senior leaders said that an attack that endangers the life of any devotee visiting such a sacred place was an extremely unfortunate and condemnable act.
They also expressed concern over how an attacker managed to gain such close access to a leader under Z-category security cover, calling for a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the apparent security breach.
Condemning the attack, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “I join my father & my colleagues in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the heinous attack. Such attacks have no place & no justification in a democracy.”
Undermines sanctity of gurdwaras: Akal Takht, SGPC
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj condemned the attack and said, “ A person who commits such an act cannot be a Sikh. The attack is highly condemnable. Such an incident not only undermines the dignity and sanctity of gurdwaras but also causes serious damage to the image of the Sikh community.” SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “The attack is an expression of an ‘anti-Panth’ mindset.”
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The SAD chief was accompanied by his wife at the time of the incident. On August 7, Badal had met the prime minister in New Delhi, igniting speculation about the possibility of the Punjab-based party joining hands with the BJP again ahead of the Punjab assembly elections. The SAD left the NDA six years ago over the farm laws issue. Harsimrat was also part of the Modi government as a minister with cabinet rank.