Sukhbir Singh Badal Attack Highlights: Leaders across political parties on Wednesday condemned the assassination attempt on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and lauded the Punjab Police for averting a "very big" tragedy.
A Khalistani terrorist opened fire at Mr Badal from a close range at the entrance of the temple in the morning, when the latter was carrying out his penance for "mistakes" committed during the party's rule in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. The bullet missed Mr Badal, and others near him, and got lodged in a wall. The accused, Narain Singh Chaura, was overpowered by police personnel in civil clothes and a tragedy was averted.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann lauded the promptness of the Punjab Police, saying a "conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis has failed".
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said it was "not just a security lapse" but also a "grave breach of the sanctity of religious institutions".
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat for Sikhs, also condemned the "murderous" attack and called for a thorough investigation into it.