Sukhbir Singh Badal Injured in Knife Attack at Nanded Gurdwara

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was wounded in an attack in which he was stabbed at a gurdwara in Nanded district of Maharashtra state on Thursday, August 13. The attack was reportedly made when Badal was at Mata Sahib Gurdwara in the complex of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, say reports.

Attack on Religious Visit
As per the initial reports, the attack took place at about 1:45 pm. The attacker reportedly moved towards Badal and attacked him with a sharp-edged instrument. Badal suffered injuries to his hand and he was admitted in a private hospital for treatment. One of his security personnel were also injured when he tried to intervene in the attack. Badal was reported out of danger after the attack.

Attacker Arrested
The attacker was arrested by police soon after the attack. As per the initial reports, the attacker is a Nihang Sikh and he has been reportedly attacked with a kirpan or some other sharp-edged weapon. But, there has been no official confirmation of motive behind the attack yet.

Security Response and Investigation
In view of the attack, security measures have been put in place in the gurdwara complex where the attack occurred. This includes an order by Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis for an investigation to be conducted on the incident to find out how the attacker was able to approach Badal when he had been put under security.
Previous Attack on Badal
The current attack on Thursday is not the first time that Badal will be targeted in the past two years. In December 2024, Badal came under attack when he was performing religious service as a sewadar in the Golden Temple in Amritsar. At that time, an armed man fired shots at Badal, but fortunately, Badal managed to escape unharmed due to intervention from security officials. 

Who is Sukhbir Singh Badal?
Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is the son of former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, is one of the leading figures in Shiromani Akali Dal. He was the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab from 2009 to 2017.
The incident in Nanded is taking place at a time when discussions about Sikh institutions and the management of important gurdwaras have been going on in a political and religious context. But there is no concrete evidence that this incident is related to some larger political conspiracy.
Further investigations by the police are still under way, but more information about the assailant, the weapon and motive will come out soon.