Thank God Sukhbir is safe, probe the attack: Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari
Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tewari on Wednesday condemned the attack on Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and demanded a probe into it.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament in New Delhi, Tewari said, “It is very sad and condemnable. Shri Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs and if they have taken action Sukhbir Singh Badal was humbly atoning for his mistakes. This attack on him is very sad.”
Tewari thanked God that Sukhbir Badal is safe.
“This attack should be probed and the one responsible should be punished,” Tewari said.
Sukhbir Badal was shot at by Narayan Singh Chaura, a former Khalistani militant, while he was performing duty of ‘sewadar’ outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Condemning the attack, senior BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh expressed relief that Sukhbir was safe.
The former Punjab chief minister also hailed ASI Jasbir Singh, who overpowered the assailant and prevented the bullet from hitting Badal.
Capt Amarinder said those behind the attack on the Akali leader had violated the Sikh maryada. He said that Punjab has already suffered a lot during the 1980s and 1990s and it cannot afford another dark era. He called upon people to beware of the forces, which are trying to sabotage peace in the state.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, “No words are sufficient to condemn the attack on Sukhbir Badal in the vicinity of Harmandir Sahib. No true Sikh will ever indulge in such a shameless and cowardly act.”
Jakhar also slammed the Punjab government for ‘failing to maintain law and order’ in the state.
ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਦੇ ਆਗੂ ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ ਉੱਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਘਰ ਦੇ ਬਾਹਰ ਹਮਲਾ ਹੋਣਾ ਬੇਹਦ ਮੰਦਭਾਗਾ l pic.twitter.com/8p3rm3DF3F
— Sunil Jakhar (@sunilkjakhar) December 4, 2024
BJP leader and Sukhbir’s cousin Manpreet Singh Badal said, “Dastardly… Violence has no place in politics. The protection of citizens is the government’s foremost duty. Political differences should be resolved through dialogue and the ballot, not the bullet. Prayers for the safety of Sukhbir Singh Badal and all others affected.”
“Punjab has already paid a heavy price in 1947, 1966, and 1984. We cannot, and will not, allow the hard-earned peace to be disrupted,” he added.
SAD leader Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra termed the incident as deeply distressing. “The attack on a person rendering service at such a sacred place has shaken the Sikh community to its core. Targeting an individual serving in the Guru's abode is an act of disgrace for the Sikh world,” he said.
Chandumajra highlighted that the attack on Punjab's former deputy chief minister not only reflects a personal threat but also points to the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. He demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the attack.
