A man opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal this morning while he was serving his penance at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The shooter was overpowered by people present on the spot. He was rushed to a hospital and more details are awaited.
Sixty-two-year-old Badal, a former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, is performing ‘sewadar’ duties after the Akal Takht pronounced the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) for him and several other Akali Dal leaders for “mistakes” committed during the party’s rule in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
He has been asked to serve as a ‘sewadar’, wash dishes and clean shoes at Golden Temple and several other gurdwaras.
Over the past two days, Mr Badal has been sitting at the gate of Golden Temple with a spear in one hand and dressed in blue ‘sewadar’ uniform. The Akali Dal leader’s leg is in a cast and he is in a wheelchair.