Ex-terrorist opens fire at Sukhbir Singh Badal at Golden Temple, arrested

A man attempted to shoot Sukhbir Singh Badal at Amritsar's Golden Temple as he served his penance under religious punishment

A former Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday, but was quickly overpowered by bystanders and handed over to the police.  The shooter, identified as Narain Singh Chaura, aimed at Badal while he was performing guard duty at the temple entrance as part of a religious penance. Badal, who was in a wheelchair, was seen ducking for cover in a blue 'sewadar' uniform while holding a spear. Despite the immediate threat, temple officials acted swiftly, preventing the attack from escalating.  

 

Who is the Golden Temple shooter?

  Chaura, who crossed over to Pakistan in 1984, was involved in weapon smuggling and wrote a book on guerrilla warfare and "seditious" literature. He is also accused in the notorious 2004 Burail jailbreak, where four inmates, including the assassins of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, escaped via a 94-foot tunnel. Chaura has been implicated in numerous cases across Punjab and has served time for various offenses.

Security and political fallout

  Senior police officer Harpal Singh confirmed that adequate security arrangements had been in place for Badal, a Z-plus protectee. He reassured the public that despite the attack attempt, security measures had been effective.  The incident comes just a day after Badal began his guard duty at the Golden Temple, a punishment ordered by the Akal Takht for mistakes during the SAD-led government (2007-2017), which included incidents of sacrilege and the Kotkapura police firing. Alongside Badal, other Akali Dal leaders were assigned similar penances, with former Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa standing guard, and other leaders tasked with cleaning toilets and serving in the community kitchen.

A political storm erupts

  The shooting sparked a heated political debate, with both the Congress and the SAD targeting the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over law and order issues. SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema called the attack part of a "big conspiracy" to destabilise the state. He also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, urging the government to take responsibility for what he called an attempt to "push Punjab back into the fire."  Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring blamed the AAP government for "100 per cent negligence" regarding security. He called for the immediate suspension of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) overseeing the event, accusing the government of waiting for a tragedy before acknowledging lapses in security. 

 

Warring added, "There might be hatred for Sukhbir Badal in the minds of Sikhs, but it doesn't mean you will shoot him."