Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday described the recent attack on her husband and party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal as a "well-planned political conspiracy". Speaking at a conference in Isru village in Punjab's Khanna, she alleged that the attack was part of an effort to disrupt peace in Punjab and insisted that those responsible could not be described as Sikhs.

Sukhbir Badal sustained injuries to his right hand after being attacked with a kirpan by a member of the Nihang order inside a gurdwara on the outskirts of Nanded in Maharashtra on Thursday. The alleged attacker was subsequently arrested. Harsimrat Kaur became emotional while recounting the incident, noting that Sukhbir had been scheduled to attend the event in Isru but was unable to do so following the attack.

The SAD MP described the location of the attack as one of the holiest Sikh shrines and accused the assailant of acting against Sikh principles. She referred to the attacker as a "Guru Dokhi" and alleged that the incident was connected to a broader political effort that she claimed had been developing since 2015. She also noted that the latest incident was the second attack targeting Sukhbir Badal in two years.

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Badal had survived an earlier assassination attempt at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in December 2024. Harsimrat Kaur maintained that such incidents were intended to undermine the Akali Dal's efforts to preserve peace and harmony in Punjab. She also conveyed Sukhbir's determination to continue his political work, saying he had asked her to represent him at the event and "hold the fort" in his absence.

Sukhbir Badal was discharged from a hospital in Nanded on Friday and was subsequently admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram for surgery. While leaving the Nanded hospital, he alleged that certain forces were attempting to disturb peace in Punjab and the country. He also argued that his party was viewed as an obstacle by those seeking to influence the situation in the state.

The SAD chief maintained that he would not allow what he described as "anti-national and anti-Punjab forces" to take control of Punjab or disturb its peace. The investigation into the attack remains underway following the arrest of the accused, while Harsimrat Kaur's allegations of a wider political conspiracy have not been independently established.

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