“This needs to be looked at to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,”: Omar Abdullah after assassination bid on Sukhbir Badal

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 5 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed his concern over the attack on former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, calling for an inquiry into the incident to restrict such kinds of incidents in the future.

Speaking to the media, Abdullah shared that he had talked to Sukhbir Singh Badal after the incident.

“I spoke to Sukhbir. Yesterday, after the attack on him, I thanked the almighty that he survived. We discussed the situation,” Omar Abdullah said.

“I spoke to Sukhbir. Yesterday after the attack on him, I expressed gratefulness to the almighty that he survived the attack. We spoke about the situation,” Omar Abdullah said.

“It’s a matter of concern if, in daylight hours, a former deputy chief minister, a Z+ protectee, can be attacked like this. This needs to be looked at to ensure that this does not happen again because let’s not forget that not long ago Punjab went through a very difficult phase in the 80s and early 90s, and God forbid we see something like that again,” the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister added.

Notably, an assassination attempt was made on Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sukhbir Singh Badal performed ‘seva’ at Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib on Thursday.

The assailant, Narain Singh Chaura, attempted to shoot Badal while he was performing ‘seva.’ However, Badal was unharmed, and the attacker was quickly overpowered and arrested.

Badal was performing ‘seva’ after being declared a ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) in August by the Akal Takht due to his “mistakes” and “decisions” taken by the SAD-led government in the state from 2007 to 2017.

As part of his punishment, Sukhbir Singh Badal was seen washing utensils at Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, and his family members also joined him in the service.

Following the attack, Bikram Singh Majithia, General Secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal, criticised the Punjab Police SP, who was seen shaking hands with the attacker, Narain Singh Chaura, on CCTV footage.

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said, “Sukhbir Singh Badal is alive today by the grace of God… Yesterday I released a video of SP-level officer Harpal Singh Randhawa, who is from Dera Baba Nanak, shaking hands with Narain Singh Chaura (attacker). Have we ever seen a police officer shaking hands with an ISI agent (Narayan Singh Chaura)? The Punjab Police have launched a cover-up operation, and the High Court or Supreme Court should investigate this matter.”

Majithia also took on Amritsar Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar for suggesting that Badal might have orchestrated the incident himself to gain sympathy. Majithia accused Bhullar of making such remarks to protect his position and cover up his failure.

Police sources revealed that the attacker, Narain Singh Chaura, is a hardcore Pakistan-returned terrorist and former head of the Akal Federation and had authored books on guerrilla warfare and other seditious subjects. “He was involved in the smuggling of weapons and explosives into Punjab during the early years of militancy.

He reportedly crossed into Pakistan in 1984 and remained there for several years before he returned to Punjab. During his stay in Pakistan, he was remotely in touch with radical organisations in Punjab and helping them,” said a senior official.