NEW DELHI: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann denounced the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple, instructing the police to launch a thorough investigation.
Mann commended the Punjab Police for their swift action in subduing the attacker, stating: “Punjab Police prevented a major incident from happening today. It is the result of the promptness of the Punjab Police that the conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis has failed.”
He added, “The police achieved great success by arresting the assailant on the spot with their promptness. I strongly condemn the attack on Sukhbir Badal ji. I have issued strict instructions to the police to immediately investigate the incident and submit a report.”
Congress MP calls for inquiry into security breachCongress MP Manish Tewari expressed dismay over the incident, highlighting the gravity of the attack on Badal at a religious site. “It is extremely sad and condemnable. Sri Akal Takht Sahib is the biggest religious organisation for Sikhs and Sukhbir Singh Badal was completing his punishment. Attacking him is highly condemnable. An investigation should be done, and action should be taken against the responsible people,” Tewari told ANI.
Punjab Congress president blames government for negligencePunjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for what he termed “100 per cent negligence” in the attempted assassination.
Warring demanded stringent punishment for the accused and called for the suspension of the additional commissioner of police.
“This should not have happened. I consider firing at Sukhbir Singh Badal 100 per cent negligence of the Government. This shows the condition of law and order in Punjab. Whoever fired bullets should be given the strictest punishment. I condemn this in the strongest terms. ACP should be suspended, immediate action should be taken against him,” he said.
Akal Takht Jathedar demands investigationAkal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh decried the attack, terming it a “murderous” act and calling for a comprehensive investigation.
He stated, “It was not an attack on Badal but on a ‘sewadar’ who was performing his duty outside the Golden Temple.” Singh stressed the need to uphold the sanctity of religious spaces.
The shooter, identified as a former terrorist, was quickly overpowered by a plainclothes policeman, with additional support from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force.
BJP leader condemns law and order failureBJP National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa harshly criticised the Punjab government for its inability to maintain security.
He accused chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal of failing Punjab, saying, “An attack on S. Sukhbir Singh Badal in the sacred premises of Sri Harmandir Sahib is not just a security lapse but a grave breach of the sanctity of our religious institutions.”
He further accused the government of bringing Punjab to the “brink of destruction” and lamented the state of law and order in the region.
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