An ex-Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant shot at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday. The gunman, named Narain Singh Chaura, a Khalistani supporter, was subdued by bystanders at the scene and handed over to the authorities.
Sources stated that Sukhbir Badal, serving as a guard at the temple entrance due to a religious penalty, is unharmed. Footage depicted the wheelchair-user Badal, dressed in a blue ‘sewadar’ outfit and clutching a spear, taking cover as the assailant brandished the weapon. Nonetheless, temple officials close to the Akali Dal leader quickly responded and subdued the shooter.
Pakistan angle being probed
According to sources, Chaura moved to Pakistan in 1984 and played a key role in the smuggling of significant shipments of weapons and explosives into Punjab. In Pakistan, Chaura is said to have written a book about guerrilla tactics and “subversive” literature. He was additionally charged in the Burail escape incident. He has previously completed a prison sentence in Punjab.
In the dramatic Burail jailbreak incident of 2004, four prisoners, one of whom was involved in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, fled by excavating a 94-foot tunnel.
Chaura has been implicated in approximately twelve cases across the Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ropar districts.
Intelligence sources indicated that it appeared to be a solitary attack, though a Pakistani connection could not be dismissed. Sources indicated that Chaura possessed an advanced 9 mm pistol, typically transported by drone from Pakistan over the border.
Also read: Who is Narain Chaura, the ex-BKI terrorist, who open-fired at Sukhbir Badal?
The shooting incident occurred a day after the former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, a Z-plus protectee, started guard duty at the Golden Temple following orders from the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs. The directive was issued for “errors” made by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) administration in Punjab between 2007 and 2017, encompassing cases of sacrilege and police shootings in Kotkapura.
In addition to Sukhbir Badal, ex-Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was similarly assigned to stand watch at the Golden Temple entrance. Other Akali Dal officials, such as ex-Cabinet ministers, were instructed to clean restrooms and assist in the community kitchen.
