Now Reading: Cop saves Sukhbir Badal in Nanded kirpan attack
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Cop saves Sukhbir Badal in Nanded kirpan attack
Shiromani Akald Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was discharged from hospital on Friday after surgery on his right hand, injured in a kirpan attack at a Nanded gurdwara. He alleged the assault…
The Story in Brief
Shiromani Akald Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was discharged from hospital on Friday after surgery on his right hand, injured in a kirpan attack at a Nanded gurdwara. He alleged the assault was part of a 'mission' to disturb peace in Punjab. The attack occurred at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji Mugat on Thursday, where a man dressed as a Nihang, identified as Jaspal Singh, struck Badal.
Police inspector Santosh Kendre, part of Badal's security detail, pushed the attacker's hand and suffered a two-inch slash on his palm, requiring eight to ten stitches. Kendre's intervention blunted the blow. The assailant was disarmed and taken into custody. Badal had been targeted earlier at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called his wife to enquire.
The Indian Opinion
The attack on a political leader at a holy shrine rightly draws condemnation, but Badal’s instant claim of a 'mission' to destabilise Punjab risks fuelling conspiracy theories without evidence. National Herald reports that a similar attacker in Amritsar was granted bail in March 2025, raising questions about deterrence. The concrete test now is whether the Nanded police investigation produces a motive beyond the assailant’s personal extremism or political manipulation. Will charges reflect a lone actor or a wider plot? That answer matters more than rhetoric.
Sources (4): nationalheraldindia.com, nationalheraldindia.com (2), deccanchronicle.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
