Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked by a Nihang Sikh with a kirpan at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Gurudwara in Nanded on Thursday. Badal suffered an injury to his hand and was taken to a private hospital in Nanded for treatment. Akali Dal sources said his injury was not life-threatening.

The incident took place as Badal was walking down the stairs after offering prayers at the prominent Sikh shrine, where he had arrived with his family. His wife and Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was present when the incident occurred. A security personnel deployed as part of Badal’s security detail was also injured while intervening during the attack.

The attacker was identified as Jaspal Singh, a Nihang Sikh, and was taken into custody by the authorities. According to sources, Singh had been working at the gurudwara for around two years. Security personnel intervened during the incident, preventing the situation from escalating further. Badal was later seen with a saffron cloth wrapped around his injured right hand and received stitches at the hospital.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the Nanded Superintendent of Police shortly after the incident and sought details about what had happened. Fadnavis directed the police to investigate the circumstances and establish the motive behind the attack. Authorities are expected to examine the sequence of events and question the accused as part of the investigation.

The incident comes after Badal survived another attack in December 2024 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He was unharmed in that incident after a gunman was overpowered and arrested. At the time, Badal was performing “sewadar” duties after the Akal Takht had imposed religious punishment on him and several other Akali Dal leaders over alleged mistakes during the party’s tenure in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Badal currently has Z-plus security cover because of a high threat perception. The latest incident has therefore raised questions about security arrangements at the Nanded shrine and the circumstances that allowed the attacker to approach him. Police are continuing their investigation, while Badal remains under medical care at the private hospital in Nanded.

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