A shocking and tense incident unfolded at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday when Narain Singh Chaura, a former Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist and a Khalistani activist, opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal. This attack occurred as Badal was serving a religious punishment, which had been ordered by the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority for Sikhs. As part of this penance, Badal was assigned guard duty at the temple entrance, dressed in a blue 'sewadar' uniform and holding a spear. The shooter, Chaura, who was armed with a sophisticated 9 mm pistol, aimed the weapon at Badal, but the situation was swiftly contained by people present at the scene. Temple officials and other devotees quickly overpowered Chaura, disarming him and handing him over to the police.
Despite the severity of the situation, Sukhbir Singh Badal was unharmed, and sources confirmed he was safe after the incident. Videos circulating on social media showed Badal, wheelchair-bound, ducking for cover as the gunman attempted to fire, but his assailants were immediately neutralized. The rapid response prevented what could have been a tragic incident and highlighted the tense atmosphere surrounding the Golden Temple at that moment.
Chaura, the attacker, has a history that goes back to the 1980s, when he crossed over to Pakistan in the wake of the turbulence during that time. In Pakistan, Chaura became heavily involved in activities supporting the Khalistani movement. He was known to have smuggled significant quantities of weapons and explosives into Punjab, actively contributing to the violence that plagued the region in the years that followed. Reports suggest that while in Pakistan, Chaura also authored literature promoting guerrilla warfare and seditious ideas, further fueling the separatist ideology. His name also came up in the infamous Burail jailbreak of 2004, where four prisoners, including the assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, managed to escape after digging a 94-foot tunnel under the prison.
Over the years, Chaura has faced several legal charges across different districts of Punjab, including Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ropar. The police in these areas had filed dozens of cases against him. His notoriety as a radical Khalistani figure meant he was closely monitored by the authorities for his potential to destabilize peace in the state. His involvement in the current shooting incident has sparked concern about the ongoing threats posed by Khalistani militants and their continuing efforts to destabilize Punjab, despite years of police action against them.
The gun used in the attack, a 9 mm pistol, is a sophisticated weapon typically linked with cross-border smuggling. Intelligence sources believe that the weapon could have been sent from Pakistan using drones, which have been increasingly used to smuggle arms into India. This method of weapon smuggling has been a growing concern for Indian authorities, who have been intensifying their vigilance along the border. Though the attack appeared to be the work of a lone assailant, the possibility of a larger conspiracy involving cross-border elements remains under investigation. As Punjab continues to grapple with separatist elements, the attack underscores the precarious situation the state faces in terms of security and stability.
This shooting comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Sukhbir Badal. He had only recently started serving his religious punishment at the Golden Temple after the Akal Takht issued the directive as a form of penance for what they deemed to be "mistakes" made by the Shiromani Akali Dal government between 2007 and 2017. These mistakes included incidents of alleged sacrilege, including the infamous incidents of Guru Granth Sahib desecration and the police firing at the Kotkapura protest. In addition to Sukhbir Badal, other senior Akali Dal leaders like former Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa were also made to stand guard as part of their penance. Additionally, some other SAD leaders were tasked with more humble duties, such as cleaning the toilets and serving in the community kitchen of the temple.
The shooting has ignited a political firestorm in Punjab, with the Congress and the Akali Dal pointing fingers at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for failing to ensure proper law and order. The Akali Dal has demanded a judicial inquiry into the attack, with senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema going as far as to claim that it was part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize Punjab. He warned that such incidents could push the state "back into the fire," alluding to the turbulence of the 1980s and the early 1990s when Khalistani militancy wreaked havoc in the region. His words reflect the deep-rooted fears that such attacks might provoke further sectarian violence in the region.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also placed blame on the AAP government for the incident, accusing them of being negligent in their duty to maintain security. Warring called for the immediate suspension of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and other officials who he felt were responsible for this security lapse. Warring further commented that such incidents reflect the "condition of the law and order" in the state, and he demanded accountability. His remarks pointed out the lack of sufficient preventive measures and emphasized that even though there may be political tensions between the Akali Dal and the Sikh community, such violence should never be tolerated.
In response to the attack, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann lauded the Punjab Police for their quick and decisive actions in apprehending the attacker. He praised the promptness with which the police handled the situation, preventing what could have been a far more dangerous and chaotic situation. Mann's statement emphasized that the conspiracy behind the attack was foiled, underscoring the success of law enforcement in preventing larger-scale harm. He condemned the attack on Sukhbir Badal and assured the public that the investigation would be thorough and transparent. Mann took to Twitter to highlight the success of the Punjab Police in averting a major incident and protecting the people of the state from further violence. His response sought to reassure citizens that Punjab was not to be "defamed" by such attacks and that the authorities were committed to upholding security.
As the investigation into the attack continues, the political fallout will likely persist, with both sides accusing each other of failing to address the growing threat posed by militancy in Punjab. This incident has once again raised questions about the state's security infrastructure, its ability to handle such threats, and its readiness to prevent further escalation of violence. The people of Punjab, still haunted by the memories of past instability, will be watching closely as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy behind the attack on Sukhbir Badal.
