Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Friday, 14 August publicly thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for personally reaching out after Badal was attacked inside a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra. The expressions of gratitude came a day after the SAD chief sustained injuries in what his family described as a ‘dastardly attack’ at the Mata Sahib Kaur Gurdwara in the Hazur Sahib area on the outskirts of the city.

What Harsimrat Said

Posting on social media platform X, Harsimrat wrote: “Truly grateful, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji for your personal call to enquire about Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal ji’s health and for your good wishes for his speedy recovery following the dastardly attack on him inside a Gurudwara Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra.”

She added that Modi had taken “immediate cognisance of the incident” and directed central investigating agencies to coordinate with Maharashtra Police in the probe. In a separate message directed at Amit Shah, she thanked the Home Minister for “words of reassurance” and his “commitment to ensuring an effective probe into this painful incident which is a grave violation of the fundamental tenets of the great Sikh religion.”

How the Attack Unfolded

The assault took place on Thursday, 13 August, when Badal was visiting Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded along with his family, including Harsimrat, who was present at the scene. An assailant dressed in Nihang attire approached Badal at the Mata Sahib Kaur Gurdwara and attacked him with a kirpan, reportedly attempting to stab him in the stomach. Security personnel intervened in time, preventing more serious injuries.

Inspector Santosh Kendre, deployed on special security duty, was also injured during the intervention. A video recorded after the incident showed Badal walking with a saffron cloth wrapped around his right hand. He sustained minor injuries to his hand and shoulder and was taken to Yashosai Hospital for treatment.

The attacker, identified by local authorities as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh, was detained on the spot. Maharashtra Police launched an investigation to establish the primary motive behind the assault.

Political and Administrative Response

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a full inquiry into the matter. The Centre’s direction to central investigating agencies to coordinate with state police signals the seriousness with which the attack on a sitting Member of Parliament and former Union Cabinet minister is being treated.

A Pattern of Threats Against Badal

This is not the first time Sukhbir Singh Badal has faced a violent threat. On 4 December 2024, he survived an assassination attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He escaped unharmed on that occasion, and the gunman was quickly overpowered and arrested.

At the time, Badal was performing ‘sewadar’ duties at the Golden Temple as part of a religious punishment — known as ‘tankhah’ — pronounced by the Akal Takht against him and several other SAD leaders for alleged mistakes committed during the party’s rule in Punjab between 2007 and 2017. The recurrence of violence against Badal at Sikh religious sites has drawn sharp attention to both his personal security arrangements and the broader tensions within the community.

As investigations continue, all eyes will be on whether central agencies uncover a larger conspiracy behind the Nanded attack or whether it remains an isolated act.