2 attacks in 2 years, 2 escapes: Sukhbir Singh Badal attack in Nanded reminiscent of close call in Amritsar

Former Punjab deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal narrowly escaped another assassination attempt outside a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Thursday. This incident echoes a close call he faced less than two years prior at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in December 2024.

Badal was attacked by a Nihang outside Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur, situated near Nanded district. He sustained a hand injury and was rushed to Yashosai Hospital for treatment. The latest attack marks the second assault on Badal within a two-year span.

On December 4, 2024, Badal narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while performing sewa, or religious duty, outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He was serving a religious punishment, or tankhah, imposed by the Sikh clergy for "mistakes" during his party's rule in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. A former militant named Narain Singh Chaura, who is alleged to be a former militant, fired at Badal from close range.

However, a security volunteer intervened, grabbing Chaura's hands and diverting the bullet, which ultimately struck a wall around six feet away from Badal.

Unlike the 2024 attack, where Badal was seated in a wheelchair wearing the blue sewadar uniform and holding a spear, the Nanded incident occurred as he was heading towards the langar hall after paying respects. Badal was accompanied by his wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is also an SAD MP, during the attack.