The legacy that haunts Sukhbir Badal: Sacrilege, Dera row, and Panthic anger

The recent attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib gurdwara has reignited tensions over the SAD's legacy and leadership, particularly within the Panthic community. This is the second such incident involving Badal in just two years, the first occurring in December 2024 when he was shot at after performing sewa at the Golden Temple following a controversial ruling by the Akal Takht.

The underlying grievances stem from several contentious events during the 2007-17 Akali-BJP government tenure, including the Dera Sacha Sauda controversy and the sacrilege incidents at Bargari village and Behbal Kalan, which deeply angered the Sikh community. These events, coupled with perceived political overreach by the Badal family over Sikh religious institutions, have significantly weakened the SAD's traditional Panthic support base, leading to its electoral decline and fragmentation.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.