Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal was allegedly attacked by a Nihang at a gurdwara on the outskirts of Nanded in Maharashtra on Thursday, leaving him injured in the hand. The incident took place at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur, around 15 km from the main Gurdwara Nanded Sahib. Badal had reportedly offered prayers and was walking towards the langar hall when he was attacked with a kirpan.
He was taken to Yashosai Hospital for treatment. A video circulating after the incident showed Badal walking inside a building with a saffron cloth wrapped around his right hand. The gurdwara is managed by a Nihang samparday and does not come under the board overseeing the main Nanded Sahib shrine. Badal had arrived in Nanded on Wednesday with his wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and a group of associates for a three-day visit.
BJP spokesperson RP Singh condemned the alleged attack, describing it as “completely unacceptable”. “Punjab and the Punjabi community have already suffered immensely during the dark and painful years of violence and militancy. Generations of Punjabis have borne the deep scars left by that period. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow those dark days to return,” Singh said in a post on X. He added, “Peace, brotherhood, constitutional values and the rule of law must always prevail. I pray for the good health, safety and speedy recovery of S Sukhbir Singh Badal Ji.”
The incident comes less than two years after Badal survived an alleged assassination attempt at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. On December 4, 2024, former militant Narain Singh Chaura allegedly fired at Badal from close range. A security officer intervened, causing the bullet to miss Badal and strike a wall of the shrine. Chaura was subsequently overpowered and arrested.
