Alert Pb cop thwarts murder bid on Sukhbir

Chandigarh : Prompt action by an alert Punjab Police ASI on Wednesday helped thwart a murderous bid on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Jasbir Singh, who was standing close to Sukhbir Badal at the entrance of the Golden Temple in plainclothes, swung into action the moment he sensed a threat to the senior Akali leader. Television footage showed Narain Singh Chaura, a former terrorist, slowly moving towards Sukhbir Badal, who was sitting on a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, and suddenly pulling out a gun from his pocket. But before Chaura could pull the trigger, an alert Singh pounced on him, grabbed his hands, pushed them upwards and whisked him away. In the melee, the gun fired but fortunately the bullet hit the entrance wall of the shrine behind Sukhbir Badal, who escaped unhurt.

Other security personnel present on the spot along with members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force immediately intervened and snatched the weapon from Chaura. Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, ASI Singh said he was just performing his duty. Singh also said that senior police officers briefed him to remain alert and keep an eye on all possible wrong elements.

“I was alert when he (Chaura) came. When he took out his pistol, we overpowered him and snatched his weapon,” Singh said. The audacious attack, which took place at around 9:30 am, was captured by mediapersons camping outside the Golden Temple to cover Day 2 of Sukhbir Badal’s penance for the “mistakes” committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, meanwhile, lauded the policemen for their role in foiling the murder bid on Sukhbir Badal. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also hailed the promptness of Punjab Police in nabbing the attacker. Special Director General of Police, Arpit Shukla, said one assistant inspector general of police, two superintendents of police, two deputy superintendents of police and 175 police personnel were deployed at the Golden Temple.

However, senior SAD leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the incident. “I have shared a video that shows the accused was in the area since yesterday,” Majithia told reporters in Amritsar.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at Golden Temple in Amritsar and lauded the Punjab Police for averting a “very big” tragedy.

The BJP lashed out at the Mann government in Punjab over the attack on SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and said law and order situation has deteriorated in the state since the AAP came to power. Reacting to the incident, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “It’s a very serious matter.” The law and order situation in Punjab has been deteriorating since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in the state, he charged.