New Delhi: On Wednesday, gunfire erupted within the premises of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, where leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), including party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, were engaged in ‘seva’ as part of the religious penalties imposed upon them by Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Authorities apprehended an individual believed to have attempted to shoot SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal outside the Golden Temple. The assailant has been identified as Narain Singh Chaura, reportedly a former militant with a history of multiple legal cases and a period of being underground.
At the time of the incident, Narain Singh Chaura was positioned near Sukhbir Singh Badal. When he opened fire, a nearby ‘sewadar’ intervened by pushing the assailant’s hand upward, thereby preventing harm to the SAD leader.
Sukhbir Singh Badal has been present at the Golden Temple to fulfill the role of a ‘sewadar’ or volunteer, as part of the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) decreed by the Sikh clergy.
With a spear in one hand, Badal, dressed in a blue ‘sewadar’ uniform, was positioned at the entrance of the Golden Temple in his wheelchair on Tuesday, performing his assigned duty due to a fractured leg.
Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, also in a wheelchair due to his advanced age, was undergoing the same punishment, while former Punjab ministers Bikram Singh Majithia and Daljit Singh Cheema were engaged in washing utensils. Small placards were displayed around the necks of Badal and Dhindsa, indicating their “misdeeds.” Both leaders served as ‘sewadar’ for a duration of one hour.
