NEW DELHI: Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Saturday described the assassination attempt on Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple as an act driven by emotion rather than “personal enmity”.
“Narayan Singh Chaura (attacker) had no personal enmity with Sukhbir Singh Badal…He fired bullets at Sukhbir Singh Badal in an emotional state because he (Sukhbir Singh Badal) himself admitted that he was involved in the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib,” the Union minister told news agency ANI.
He said that Chaura’s attack might have been linked to admissions made by Badal at Sri Akal Takht Sahib about sacrilege during his tenure as deputy CM. The minister also criticised the Shiromani Akali Dal, and said that the party should also facilitate Chaura just as they “hugged” individuals like Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted in the assassination of Bittu’s grandfather, former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in 1995.
“As the Shiromani Akali Dal leaders hugged Balwant Singh Rajoana (a convict awarded a death sentence in the assassination case of former Punjab CM Beant Singh) they should also felicitate Narayan Singh Chaura and his photo should be installed in the museum,” he said.
Gun Attack Inside Golden Temple: Watch Moment When Gunshots Terrified Akali Dal’s Badal
The incident unfolded on Wednesday when Chaura, a former Khalistani terrorist, attempted to shoot Badal while the latter was performing religious service as a ‘sewadar’ at the Golden Temple. The attack was thwarted by alert plainclothes police officers, who overpowered Chaura before any harm was done. A bullet fired during the scuffle struck a wall, leaving Badal unharmed.
Chaura, now in police custody, has a long history of militancy, including his role in the 2004 Burail jailbreak and links to arms smuggling.
Earlier, Bittu had urged caution regarding the release of individuals with militant pasts, asserting that their mindset often remained unchanged. He recalled being warned by a senior Punjab Police officer years ago about potential threats from Chaura, PTI reported.
“What I have been telling is that the mindset of such persons doesn’t change even when they are released,” he had said.
