Amritsar: A man opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal while he was performing the duty of ‘sewadar’ outside the Golden Temple here on Wednesday but missed the target as he was overpowered by some bystanders.
The audacious attack was captured on cameras of mediapersons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover the second day of Badal’s penance for “mistakes” committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
Television footage showed the shooter slowly walking towards Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, and pulling out a gun from his pocket. A man standing near Badal quickly intervened and grabbed the attacker’s hands. In the melee, a bullet hit the wall behind Badal, who escaped unhurt.
Police identified the shooter as Narain Singh, a resident of Dera Baba Nanak. After the attack, he was whisked away by security officials.
Badal is undergoing religious punishment announced by the Akal Takht.
Holding a spear in one hand and dressed in blue ‘sewadar’ uniform, the SAD leader sat at the entrance of the Golden Temple. A small board hung around his neck, acknowledging his “misdeeds”.
SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema strongly condemned the attack on Badal.
