Arvind Kejriwal Claims 'Conspiracy to Defame Punjab' After Assassination Attempt on Sukhbir Singh Badal

Following the attempted assassination of Sukhbir Singh Badal, a former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused influential forces on Wednesday of preparing a massive conspiracy to discredit Punjab and its people.

Speaking before the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal denounced the shooting incident that took place outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where a shooter opened fire on Sukhbir Singh Badal. Although Sukhbir Singh Badal was unharmed in the incident, Kejriwal stated, "A tragedy was narrowly averted thanks to the quick response of the Punjab Police."

While Sukhbir Badal was confined to a wheelchair because of a leg injury, the assailant, who was identified as Narain Singh Chaura, tried to shoot him. But before he could do any damage, the gunman was overwhelmed. The conflict ended with a gunshot grazing the wall behind Sukhbir Badal.

The episode, according to Kejriwal, was a part of a bigger scheme to damage Punjab's reputation. "This is clear — a big conspiracy is underway to malign the reputation of Punjab and its people," he stated. "Thanks to the Punjab Police, a serious situation was avoided and the state has set an example of how to maintain law and order."

In addition, Kejriwal attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which questioned Punjab's law and order right after the attack. "The BJP leaders were quick to criticise Punjab, but they failed to recognise that a major disaster was prevented," according to him. On the other hand, Kejriwal noted that the BJP has spoken nothing about crimes against women, drug trafficking, and gang violence in Delhi.

“The BJP has nothing to say while murders and shootouts are frequent in Delhi and gangsters rule the capital. They don't say anything about Delhi's crime problems, but they leap right in to attack Punjab," Kejriwal continued.

Headlines have been dominated by the Sukhbir Badal attack story, with political leaders demanding prompt justice. Local and national officials have responded to the failed murder attempt on Sukhbir Badal, which has heightened political tensions in Punjab even as talks about punishing those guilty for the tragedy continue.