SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal's first reaction to attack in Maharashtra: 'Not afraid, never will be'

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, after being discharged from a hospital in Maharashtra, said he was not afraid and would continue to uphold his family's legacy of maintaining peace and communal harmony in Punjab.SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said he is "not afraid" in first reaction over attack near Maharashtra gurdwara (File photo)Thanking the Almighty for saving his life during two attacks, Badal said, "Here in Nanded Sahib tenth Master Guru Gobind Singh ji have saved my life". He added that I am “not afraid and never will be.”Badal said the SAD stood for peace and communal harmony in Punjab and across the country. Referring to his father and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, he said the two had worked to maintain peace in the state and that he would continue on the same path.He also alleged that some forces were trying to disturb peace in Punjab and said he was prepared to make any sacrifice to protect it.Badal was attacked at around 1.45 pm on Thursday inside a gurdwara near Maharashtra's Nanded district. He was rushed to a hospital, where he received two to three stitches on his right hand.SAD says Badal is in ‘Chardi Kala’Soon after the incident, the Shiromani Akali Dal said Badal was doing well and remained in “Chardi Kala”, or high spirits, after the attack in Nanded. SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said the attacker, who was dressed in Nihang attire, tried to target the SAD chief but was stopped by his security personnel.Badal, who is a Z-category protectee, suffered a minor injury to his arm and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Kler said he was “completely fine” and in “Chardi Kala”. A local official in Nanded said Badal received two to three stitches on his hand.Kler said Maharashtra Police would investigate the incident, as it occurred in the state, and determine whether there was any conspiracy behind the attack.The SAD spokesperson also alleged that “panthic leaders” were being repeatedly targeted and said, “Some 'panth virodhi' (anti-panth) forces are hatching such conspiracies.”Nanded attackThe man accused of attacking Badal has been identified as 63-year-old Jaspal Singh, who hails from Pune, police said. He had been serving as a sewadar at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat for the past two years, according to a senior police official.Nanded Superintendent of Police Neelabh Rohan said a case of attempt to murder had been registered against Singh under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The attack took place while Badal was at the gurdwara, around 15 km from Nanded city. He was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.The incident marks the second attack on Badal in two years. In December 2024, he survived an assassination attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar when a gunman opened fire at him from close range.