AMRITSAR: A gunman shot at a prominent Sikh politician, a former ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, outside the Golden Temple on Wednesday before police caught and arrested him, in a scare at the popular site that witnessed a bloody clash between Sikh activists and troops four decades ago.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, 62, former deputy chief minister of Punjab state, remained unharmed. Badal’s security tackled the shooter, identified by police as Narain Singh, after he took his weapon from his waist and the sole shot he fired off missed its target, instead hitting a marble pillar.

Badal’s security tightened after 68-year-old shooter arrested

The 68-year-old shooter was seen in TV footage from news agency ANI walking to the entrance of the temple in Amritsar city, the holiest shrine for Sikhs, and stealthily removing a gun from his pocket to fire at Badal.

Badal was at the temple to serve a punishment imposed by Akal Takht, Sikhism’s highest body, for alleged “mistakes” committed while his party was governing Punjab state in the decade up to 2017.

He was asked to sit at the Golden Temple’s entrance holding a spear since the beginning of the week as an “act of contrition”.

The reason for the attack was not immediately clear.

Amritsar Police Comm­ission­er Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said, “Due to the alertness and deployment of our police, this attack attempt was foiled,” adding that the gunman had been arrested. “Security of Sukhbir Singh Badal has been tightened. The assailant is in police custody and investigation is in process,” senior Punjab state police officer Harpal Singh told reporters.

The Golden Temple has been the scene of violence in the past.

Indian special forces stormed it in 1984 to remove Sikh separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his supporters that had barricaded themselves inside during an insurgency demanding an independent Sikh homeland carved out of India.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024