Sukhbir Badal Performs ‘Sewa’ at Takht Kesgarh Sahib After Assassination Attempt in Punjab

Sukhbir Badal Performs ‘Sewa’: A day after he escaped a murder bid on him, SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday performed the duty of ‘sewadar’ outside Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Rupnagar district under tight security.

The former deputy CM, a Z+ security, reached the Anandpur Sahib shrine surrounded by security personnel. Dressed in blue ‘sewadar’ uniform, Badal sat outside the gurdwara with a spear in one hand for an hour from 9 am.

The wheelchair-bound SAD leader later listened to kirtan and also washed dishes in the langar.

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Badal (62) is serving the religious punishment pronounced by Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal body, for the “mistakes” committed by SAD and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Besides Golden Temple in Amritsar, Akal Takht has asked Badal to perform the duty of ‘sewadar’ at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib, and Darbar Sahib in Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib for two days each.

On the second day of his sewadar at Golden Temple on Wednesday, Badal had a narrow escape as former Khalistani terrorist Narayan Singh Chaura fired at him from close range but missed as he was overpowered by plainclothes policemen.

Security was tight on Thursday as Badal visited Takht Kesgarh Sahib.

Rupnagar SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana said security is foolproof.

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Plainclothes policemen are also deployed, said officials. Task force of SGPC is also deployed.

Following the attack, Bikram Singh Majithia, General Secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal, criticized Amritsar Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar for suggesting that Mr Badal might have orchestrated the incident himself to gain sympathy. Majithia accused Bhullar of making such remarks to protect his position and cover up his failure.

Police sources revealed that the attacker, Narain Singh Chaura is a hardcore Pakistan returned terrorist and former head of Akal Federation and had authored books on guerrilla warfare and other seditious materials.

Multiple political leaders condemned the attack on Mr Badal, with the Congress claiming the Punjab government being negligent with security and Bharatiya Janata Party saying that the assassination attempt is "indicative of complete breakdown of law and order".

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