Lagatar24 Desk
Rupnagar (Punjab): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal resumed his religious service as a ‘sewadar’ at Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, Rupnagar district, on Friday morning. The service comes amidst tight security following an assassination attempt earlier this week.
Dressed in a blue ‘sewadar’ uniform and holding a spear, visuals showed the former Deputy Chief Minister seated at the gurdwara entrance, surrounded by security personnel.
Continuing Service Amid Adversity
Badal’s ongoing ‘seva’ is part of religious penance directed by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, for “mistakes” committed during the SAD government’s tenure in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. The directive includes performing service at key Sikh religious sites, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Takht Damdama Sahib, and Darbar Sahib in Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib.
On Thursday, Badal resumed his service at Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, just a day after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Details of the Assassination Attempt
The accused, Narain Singh Chaura, reportedly a Pakistan-returned terrorist with a history of militancy, was arrested after attempting to shoot Badal during his ‘seva’.
Amritsar police presented Chaura before the court on Thursday, which granted a three-day remand. Police investigations revealed Chaura’s involvement in weapon and explosive smuggling during Punjab’s militancy era.
“Chaura crossed into Pakistan in 1984, where he remained for several years, assisting radical organizations in Punjab remotely,” said a senior police official.
Background and Significance
The assassination attempt underscores ongoing security challenges in Punjab. Badal, a Z-category protectee, continues to fulfill his penance under tight security, highlighting the complexities of balancing religious service and personal safety.
