Amritsar, December 4 -The highest Sikh temporal seat Akal Takht Jathedar Gyani Ragubir Singh strongly condemned assassination bid on Sukhbir Singh Badal made outside Golden Temple here in the morning today .
Jatehadar said that the incident was not aimed at the political leader but at a sewadar (volunteer) performing sewa (religious service) at the holy shrine, since Sukhbir was performing Sewa as a Sewadar.
Gyani Raghbir Singh underlined the attack was a direct assault on a devotee who was whole heartedly performing his religious duties and not on any political figure. He defined this coward and act of violence, urged the government to hold through probe.
Adding further he said that Sri Harmandhar Sahib should not be politicized, since Sukhbir Badal was doing Sewa at the main entrance of the Golden Temple which was given to him by the Akal Takht. He said that the attack on Harmandhar Sahib would not be tolerated by the Sikh community as the firing incident was at Golden Temple. It was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the sanctity of the Sikh faith.
However, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami has also strongly condemned the attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal outside Sri Harmandar Sahib today. He said that targeting Sukhbir Singh Badal while performing religious service given by Akal Takht Sahib at this holy place is extremely saddening and immoral. The attack carried out with a violent nature can also be termed an attack on the religious aura of Sri Harmandar Sahib.
The SGPC President said that it has been the tradition of Akal Takht Sahib to take notice of any Panthic disobedience and order religious punishment; it is the duty of every Sikh to follow the same as a humble Sikh. Sukhbir Singh Badal is following the orders of Akal Takht Sahib to fulfil his tankhah (religious punishment). He said that during this time, attacking Sukhbir Singh Badal is not only an expression of anti-Panthic mentality and an inhuman act, but also a direct insult to the orders of Akal Takht Sahib.
Dhami said that this attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal raises big questions about the laxity of the Punjab government and the police and the law and order situation in Punjab. He appealed to the police administration to ensure the safety of every Akali leader while fulfilling their religious service given by Akal Takht Sahib.
Senior Akali lader Daljit Singh Cheema described attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal as total failure of Punjab Police which utterly remained failed to prevent assassination bid on Sukhbir Singh Badal inspite of the facts that the alleged culprits was moving in the Golden Temple since yesterday and it was very much in the notice of Punjab police. He said that it was an attempt on the leadership of Akal Dal.
Another senior leader Bikram Majithia claimed that a Pakistani based ISI agency was behind the attack since culprit Naryana Singh Chaura was in the touch of Pakistani intelligence agencies. He also claimed that the culprit was having warm relationships with some senior congress leaders in the Punjab.
Today in the morning around 9.30 a.m the assassination bid was made at Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal wherein he escaped narrowly as a bullet fired by the assailant hit the building of the Golden Temple, as Sukhbir Badal remained unharmed.
However, today Punjab former Deputy Chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had a narrow escape when an assailant fired gunshot at him from point blank range. Luckily Sukhbir Badal escaped unharmed as the assailant was overpowered well in time.
The alert courageous Sukhbir Badal’s Gunman Jasbir Singh, who was standing near the Sukhbir Badal keeping hawk eyes on each visiting devotee, grabbed and twisted the arm of the assailant the moment he took out the weapon from his belt tied around his waist. Singh immediately raised his hand and a bullet fired by the assailant hit the entrance pillar of the Golden Temple where Sukhbir Badal was performing the Sewa.
The assailant was nabbed on the spot by the task force member of the SGPC and was handed over to police which identified him as Narayan Singh Chaura resident of Dera Baba Nanak assembly constituency from Batala district of Punjab. Earlier he was arrested in numerous criminal cases. He also remained a member of Babar Khalsa outfit in the past.
Police ACP Harpal Singh talking to the media said, “Police can’t stop anyone from entering inside the Golden Temple especially as a visitor. He said that the assailant was here as a visitor. But here it would be difficult to say that his security was breached. Now security of Sukhbir Singh Badal has been tightened as the assailant is in police custody and investigation was in progress”.
Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar who visited the spot to take stock of the situation said, “ It was a brave act of Punjab police personnel who save the life of Sukhbir Badal. Furhter investigation was underway”.
After assassination attempt, Sukhbir Badal again returned to perform Sewa. His Member Parliament wife Harsimarat Kaur Badal also reached Golden Temple to meet his husband
However, on December 2, The Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht issued a ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) for Sukhbir Singh Badal, citing the “mistakes” committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its government during the period of 2007 to 2017.
Jatehdar Akal Takht highest Sikh temporal seat Gyani Raghbir Singh while holding Sukhbir Badal and his cabinet colleagues accountable guilty for wrong doings for the Sikh Panth on the basis of their confession pronounced Tankha ( religious punishment) here on Monday from Akal Takht.
During the hearing, questions posed by Akal Takht Jathedar Giandi Raghubir Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal admitted mistakes committed during SAD led Akali Dal-BJP government during 2007-2017.
Pronouncing religious punishment Jathedar Raghubir Singh issued directives for Sukhbir Singh Badal and other core members to clean bathrooms of Sri Darbar Sahib from 12 noon to 1 pm. Thereafter they will do SEWA in the langar (community kitchen besides washing used utensils of devotees for two days. They were also told to recite Sri Sukhmani Sahib as part of their repentance.
