Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked yesterday near Mata Sahib Gurdwara at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Thursday on the morning of March 20th when he was going to the gurdwara and an attacker tried to attack him with a sharp-edged weapon.
According to details, the incident was around 11:30 a.m. A man approached Badal and attempted to stab him. Security officials and police officers intervened and the attack did not escalate. But Badal was injured in the hand.
Following the attack, Badal was rushed to a private hospital in Nanded for medical treatment. Footage recorded after the incident gave us a glimpse of the former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister walking with a saffron cloth wrapped around his right hand. The injury is being treated by doctors, and more details regarding his condition are awaited.
A police personnel was also injured as he tried to intervene during the attack. Inspector Santosh Kendre, who was part of the special security arrangements, was attacked and was injured near Mata Sahib Gurdwara. Police arrested one person in connection with the incident.
Badal had visited Takht Sri Hazur Sahib earlier in the day with family. His wife and Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was also present when the attack occurred. The incident was worrying to security personnel and devotees in the vicinity.
So that Badal's political identity and his previous experience of being targeted in an attack have raised questions about security arrangements around the world-famous Sikh religious site. In the future, authorities will search for a reason behind the attack, the motives of the attacker and evidence that there were security lapses in place.
And Sukhbir Singh Badal has not been immune to assassination attempts too. On December 4, 2024, he survived an attack outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. A gunman attempted to shoot him while he was performing his religious duties. Badal escaped unharmed.
The 2024 incident took place when Badal was performing 'sewadar' duties at Golden Temple as part of a religious punishment, or 'tankhah' brought up by the Akal Takht. The punishment was in response to the charges of Badal and other Akali Dal leaders for decisions and actions taken during the party's tenure in Punjab from 2007 onwards.
Attack on Punjab's former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal in Nanded, Maharashtra#sukhbirbadal @officeofssbadal @Akali_Dal_ pic.twitter.com/rj920b5Xem
— Amit Singh 🇮🇳❣️ (@KR_AMIT007) August 13, 2026
Badal served two terms as deputy chief minister in Punjab and is still one of the most prominent people in the state's politics. He has also been president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the leading parties in Punjab politics.
The latest attack in Nanded comes against the background of Badal’s continuing political and religious activities. With one suspect detained and a police officer injured, investigators will analyze the sequence of events, the weapon used and the security response at the site.
The incident once again has raised the security level of political figures who frequent major religious institutions. There will be more information about Badal's condition, the identity and background of the detained suspect and the motive of the attack at the time of the investigation, I expect.
