New Delhi: A day after surviving an assassination attempt at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday performed the duties of a ‘sewadar’ at the Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Rupnagar district of Punjab as part of his penance.
The former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, a Z+ security protectee, arrived at the Anandpur Sahib shrine flanked by security personnel. Dressed in a blue sewadar uniform, Badal sat at the gurdwara’s entrance, holding a spear.
He is undergoing religious penance, as decreed by the Akal Takht, the Sikh temporal authority, for “mistakes” committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government and his party during their rule in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
Watch:
#WATCH | Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal arrives at Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib to perform ‘seva’. Security heightened at the Gurudwara.
An attacker, Narain Singh Chaura attempted to shoot Sukhbir Singh Badal at Golden Temple in Amritsar… pic.twitter.com/MMxNuRJG22
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2024
In addition to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Akal Takht has directed Badal to serve as a sewadar at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib, and Darbar Sahib in Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib for two days each.
Sukhbir Badal assassination attempt
On his second day of penance at the Golden Temple on Wednesday, Badal narrowly escaped an attack when a former Khalistani terrorist fired at him at close range. The assailant was swiftly overpowered by plainclothes policemen, preventing any harm.
The accused was identified as Narain Singh Chaura, a history-sheeter and Khalistan sympathiser, named in more than 20 cases including terror charges.
Ahead of Badal’s visit to Takht Kesgarh Sahib, extensive security arrangements were implemented. Rupnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Gulneet Singh Khurana confirmed that foolproof measures were in place, including the deployment of cops in civil clothes to monitor the situation closely.
In addition to Badal, several SAD leaders and party workers were also present at the gurdwara.
