Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal inside a gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded town, saying such attacks have no place in a democracy.
Badal was injured in a ‘kirpan’ (ceremonial dagger) attack by a member of the Nihang order inside the complex of Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji in Nanded on Thursday. The former Punjab deputy chief minister was rushed to hospital where he received two to three stitches on his right hand.
“I join my father & my colleagues in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the heinous attack on @officeofssbadal earlier today,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
The chief minister said such attacks had no place or justification in a democracy.
“Such attacks have no place & no justification in a democracy. What is shocking is that after Sukhbir survived an assassination attempt in Amritsar earlier, nothing seems to have been done to protect him better,” he added.
SAD leaders termed the attack, which took place around 1.45 pm at the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji, about 15 km from Nanded, an intelligence failure and said the party chief was fine and in high spirits.
“A Nihang (member of a martial order of Sikhs) attacked Badal with a kirpan inside the gurdwara. The attacker has been taken into custody,” Nanded Superintendent of Police Neelabh Rohan said.
Police officer Santosh Kendre, who was part of the special protection unit, was injured while protecting him.
Badal, who escaped unhurt in December 2024 when a former Babbar Khalsa International terrorist opened fire at him at the Golden Temple entrance, is protected by Z-plus category security.
However, he is entitled to CISF cover only in Punjab and Delhi with a deployment of around 40 personnel. Punjab Police personnel were with him when the attack took place in Nanded.
National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah also condemned the attack and urged the Centre to take steps so that such vulnerable figures are not targeted.
“It is a very unfortunate thing. He has been attacked several times, and I understand that there is some weakness in the security. People and the government must remember that these are very vulnerable figures.
“He was attacked before too, and we cannot say it won’t happen again,” Abdullah told reporters here.
He, however, expressed satisfaction that the attack was averted.
“Thank God that this time they were not successful and it was averted. However, all of us, especially the Government of India, need to take notice of this and be careful so that it does not happen again,” he said.
“We condemn what has happened, and we pray to God, because it is a very blessed place where they went — Nanded, where Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s final rites were performed. For such a thing to happen, I understand, is a very dangerous matter.
“We hope that God grants him good health and he recovers quickly and works for the country,” senior Abdullah added.
