Chandigarh: Bathinda Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an investigation by the National Investigation Agency into the recent attack on Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Nanded, Maharashtra. In her communication, the parliamentarian alleged a coordinated conspiracy to assassinate the Akali Dal chief and urged central authorities to probe potential links between the latest assault and the December 2024 attack at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
The incident took place on August 13, 2026, when an unidentified assailant wielding a sword targeted Sukhbir Singh Badal as he was returning with his family after paying obeisance at a gurdwara in Nanded Sahib. Badal sustained injuries to his right hand during the scuffle, while an alert security officer suffered injuries while putting his own life at risk to intercept and disarm the attacker, preventing what could have been a fatal assault.
Drawing parallels between the two occurrences, Harsimrat Kaur Badal noted that both assassination attempts targeted the SAD leader while he was engaged in religious services at sacred Sikh shrines. She emphasized that the repetition of such assaults raises profound questions regarding how the Punjab government and state police handled the security fallout and investigation surrounding the previous incident in Amritsar.
The parliamentarian also raised concerns over alleged lapses and questionable interactions involving senior Punjab police personnel prior to the 2024 Amritsar attack. She highlighted reports of senior officers engaging closely with the assailant days before that incident, questioning why no accountability was established or senior officials questioned despite severe security failures. She argued that a thorough central inquiry is essential to uncover any broader conspiracy and ensure comprehensive accountability.
