Source TOI
NANDED, MAHARASHTRA — A day after surviving a violent attack inside a gurdwara, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was discharged from a hospital in Nanded on Friday, declaring that he would never be intimidated or allow the peace of Punjab to be disrupted.
Emerging from Yashosai Hospital with his right arm in a sling, Badal spoke to reporters before making his way to the airport. “I am not afraid, nor was I ever afraid,” he asserted. Characterizing the attack as part of a “larger conspiracy,” he stated, “Their mission is to take control of the situation in Punjab and disturb the peace, which, as president of the Akali Dal, I will never allow”.
The SAD chief was attacked on Thursday by a member of the Nihang order armed with a kirpan at the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat on the outskirts of Nanded. The incident occurred mere months after Badal escaped a separate attempt on his life at the Golden Temple entrance in Amritsar in December 2024. Drawing a parallel between the two events, Badal noted, “They attacked me in the holiest places… I’ve always said that one who has the blessings of Guru Sahab can never be harmed.”
Following the attack, Badal was rushed to the hospital where he underwent a 90-minute surgery. Doctors confirmed that he had sustained a sharp penetrating wound resulting in a tendon injury. Both the tendon and his ulnar artery nerve were successfully repaired by a plastic surgeon, and he is now out of danger.
Authorities have identified the attacker as 60-to-62-year-old Jaspal Singh, who had been serving as a volunteer (sewadar) at the gurdwara for the past two years. Singh, who holds commerce and law degrees and whose family is based in Pune, has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempted murder, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons, and obstructing a public servant. Police are currently investigating the motive behind the assault.
Badal flew to Delhi later on Friday evening and maintained that the Shiromani Akali Dal will remain dedicated to Punjab’s progress, brotherhood, and communal harmony regardless of any threats.
Sukhbir Singh Badal Attacked In Maharashtra’s Nanded
This video provides an initial news report detailing the attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Nanded gurdwara and his subsequent hospitalization.
