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AMN / WEB DESK

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has strongly condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was fired at while performing ‘sewa’ outside the Golden Temple on Wednesday morning, and directed police to investigate the incident.

The chief minister also lauded the promptness of the Punjab Police in nabbing the attacker.

The man missed Badal as he was overpowered by police. The audacious attack was captured on cameras of media persons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover the second day of Badal’s penance for “mistakes” committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

“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,” Mann said in a post on X.

A Khalistani militant, identified as Narain Singh Chaura, opened fire at Sukhbir but missed the target as he was overpowered by ASI Jasbir Singh and two other cops.

Chaura was just a few meters away from Sukhbir when he took out a pistol and pointed it towards the SAD chief but before he could press the trigger, ASI Jasbir caught hold of him and the bullet was fired in the air. Meanwhile, two other ASIs—Rashpal Singh and Parminder Singh—joined Jasbir in overpowering Chaura.

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple in Punjab. Speaking to media outside Parliament, Mr Bittu demanded an investigation into the incident saying that once again attempts have been made to disturb peace in Punjab. He said, the attacker Narain Singh Chaura who fired at Sukhbir Singh Badal was the mastermind of the Burail jailbreak and helped terrorists like Jagtar Singh Hawara, Paramjit Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Tara to escape from the jail.

Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury said that it is unfortunate that such an incident has happened at a holy place like the Golden Temple.