Amritsar (Punjab), 4 December:
Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and senior Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a ‘seva’ session at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The accused, Khalistani militant Narain Singh Chaura, allegedly opened fire at Sukhbir Singh Badal at the temple’s entrance. Sukhbir Singh Badal and his former Cabinet colleague, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, were performing religious ‘tankhah’ (punishment) as ‘sewadars’ while seated in wheelchairs when the incident occurred.
Assassination bid on former Punjab Dy CM #SukhbirSinghBadal.
Man attempts to shoot SAD’s Sukhbir Badal outside Golden Temple.
Badal was performing the duty of ‘sewadar’ outside the Golden Temple, as religious punishment given to to him by the Akal Takht. pic.twitter.com/rqOCnZZJ8B
— Tawqeer Hussain (@tawqeerhussain) December 4, 2024
The police immediately arrested Chaura at the scene. Around 9:30 am, Chaura reportedly took out a pistol just a few metres away from Sukhbir Singh Badal. However, before he could aim properly, security personnel in civilian clothes quickly subdued him, resulting in the bullet being fired into the air.
Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar confirmed that the situation was promptly brought under control. “It was the efficiency and promptness of a policeman of the Amritsar police who gauged the situation and overpowered Chaura and the bullet was fired into the air. Chaura has been arrested. Everything is fine,” he said.
The incident has raised concerns about security lapses. Senior Akali leader Daljit Singh Cheema condemned the attack and demanded a judicial inquiry. “Though I appreciate the policeman who took swift action, we have no faith in the government. The conspiracy behind this incident has to come out,” he stated.
Cheema also criticised law enforcement for failing to act sooner. “Chaura was roaming around Golden Temple for the past two days. What were the police waiting for? Why was he not arrested then,” he added.
Narain Singh Chaura has a history of criminal activities and has been booked in nearly 30 cases. Among these is a case under the Explosives Act registered on May 8, 2010, at the Civil Lines police station in Amritsar. He is also wanted in multiple cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act across districts like Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ropar.
Chaura was previously arrested on February 28, 2013, in Jalalabad village, Tarn Taran, but had been out on bail. He is alleged to have crossed over to Pakistan in 1984, where he facilitated the smuggling of weapons and explosives into Punjab during the early stages of militancy. During his time in Pakistan, Chaura reportedly authored a book on guerrilla warfare and other “seditious” literature. He was also implicated in the Burail jailbreak case.
The incident has sparked debates about the adequacy of security arrangements at such significant religious and political locations. Further investigations are underway to uncover the motive and any possible conspiracy behind the attack.
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