By Asia Samachar | Panjab, India |
Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal escaped an apparent assasination attempt while he was performing seva (volunteer service) as instructed by religious leaders at the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar today (Dec 4).
In videos capturing the incident, a man was seen pulling out a gun while approaching Sukhbir, who was seated on a wheelchair and accepting dishes for cleaning as part of his seva. A person close to Sukhbir rushed forward to confront the attacker and overpowering him. A gun shot could be heard, but it was reported to have hit a wall.
However, in another report, Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh is reported to have said that the incident was not an attack on Sukhbir but rather an attack on a Darbar Sahib sewadar who was performing sewa. In a video shared on the X platform, he condemned the incident and urged the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the case. Sukhbir was unharmed.
Sukhbir was present at Darbar Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, to perform ‘seva’ as instructed by the Akal Takht for various “mistakes” committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was also made to stand guard at the Dardar Sahib gate while other Akali Dal leaders, including former Cabinet ministers, were ordered to clean toilets and serve in the community kitchen, according to media reports.
Some quarters see the move as part of grand scheme to whitewash the discredited Badal family and the the party.
Naturally, not everyone is symphathetic with the younger Badal, son of the former Panjab warlord Parkash Singh Badal.
“Sukhbir Badal has done more damage to the Panth than even the Mughals or Abdil could ever dream to do,” remarked one Sikh-sounding handle on the X platform.
In a statement shared on his social media accounts condeming the attack, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state’s police had prevented a major incident from happening today.
“The promptness of the Punjab Police foiled a conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis. The police achieved great success by arresting the assailant on the spot with their promptness,” he said.
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