Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday, 16 August wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into two separate attacks on SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Addressing the second phase of the party's 'Punjab Bachao' campaign rally in Guruharsahai, she described both incidents as a 'deep-rooted conspiracy' involving politicians and police officers.

Details of the Attacks

The first attack occurred on 4 December 2024 at the Sri Darbar Sahib, and the second took place at the Mata Sahib Gurudwara in Nanded, Maharashtra. At the Nanded gurudwara, the assailant — reportedly dressed as a Nihang Sikh — initially pretended to escort Sukhbir Singh Badal down the stairs before turning and attacking him with a one-and-a-half-foot-long kirch (dagger).

Harsimrat Kaur displayed both a post-surgery photograph of Sukhbir Badal's severely injured arm and the weapon used at the rally. 'More than 150 stitches have been placed to close the wound from both sides and also from the inside. This is because the dagger, which had a sharpened tip, went through the flesh,' she told the gathering.

Why an NIA Probe Is Being Demanded

Harsimrat Kaur alleged that the assailant involved in the Sri Darbar Sahib attack was an ISI agent who was allegedly facilitated by a Superintendent of Police and was able to secure bail within three months of the attack. She argued that the involvement of a foreign intelligence operative and a senior police officer warranted central-level investigation beyond the state machinery.

'Such a cowardly act cannot be done by a true Sikh in a place of worship and the entire episode needs to be probed by the NIA to get to the bottom of the attacks as well as the persons who are sponsoring them,' she said.

Conspiracy to 'Eliminate' Sukhbir and Weaken SAD

Describing both attacks as part of a coordinated plan to eliminate the SAD chief and destabilise the party, Harsimrat Kaur warned that 'anti-national elements' were seeking to destroy the peace of Punjab. She asserted that the Shiromani Akali Dal would not be intimidated and that Sukhbir Singh Badal would emerge stronger from the ordeal.

She also disclosed that Sukhbir was in 'chardikala' (high spirits) following his discharge from hospital, and that a hawk circling his hospital window had further strengthened his resolve. 'Our strength, our pillar, our everything is our Guru. So now, I am challenging these divisive forces — the more you try to attack us and finish us, the stronger we will emerge,' she said.

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen whether the Union Home Ministry acts on the letter and orders an NIA inquiry. The demand places the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government under fresh scrutiny over its handling of the two high-profile security failures. The SAD is expected to escalate its campaign across the state in the coming weeks as part of the ongoing 'Punjab Bachao' drive.