On the sixth day of his penance for “religious misconduct” on Sunday, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal performed the duty of ‘sewadar’ outside a gurdwara in Fatehgarh Sahib amid tight security. Badal also listened to ‘kirtan’ and washed dishes in the community kitchen.
The former deputy chief minister, a Z+ protectee, arrived at the gurdwara surrounded by security personnel. Holding a spear and dressed in the blue ‘sewadar’ uniform, Badal sat at the gurdwara’s entrance for an hour from 9 am.
The 62-year-old is undergoing a religious punishment pronounced by the Akal Takht — the highest temporal body of Sikhs — for “mistakes” committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
Besides the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Akal Takht on December 2 asked Badal to perform the service of ‘sewadar’ at the Takht Kesgarh Sahib, the Takht Damdama Sahib, and Darbar Sahib in Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib for two days each.
Badal survived an attempt on his life on the second day of his penance at the Golden Temple on December 4 when former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singh Chaura fired at him from close range but missed.
Punjab Badal attacker Chaura sent to another 3-day police remand
A court in Amritsar on Sunday extended by three days the police custody of Narain Singh Chaura who had opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the gate of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Badal had survived the attempt on his life on December 4 as Chaura was overpowered by plainclothes policemen.
Amid tight security, Chaura, 68, was produced before the court in Amritsar as this three-day remand was to expire on Sunday. A police official told reporters in Amritsar that the court has again allowed a three-day police remand. He will be produced before the court on December 11, said the police official.
Chaura, a former Khalistani terrorist who is facing several cases, was sent to a three-day police remand on December 5. He has been booked under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under sections of the Arms Act. The attack targeting Badal was captured on cameras by media persons who had gathered to cover the second day of the Akali performing the duty of 'sewadar' at the main gate of the Sikh shrine as religious penance for "mistakes" committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.