As Badal was walking through the foot-washing area, the man, pretending to be a devotee, launched an attack on him, aiming for his chest. He concealed a kirpan, a small knife, in a large handkerchief and approached Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was exiting Gurudwara Mata Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Badal, took the blow on his forearm and suffered injuries to his hand. He, the attacker, is Jaspal Singh Teja Singh Aidal, a lawyer from Pune.
A native of Pune, Singh has spent much of his life in the Camp area. Over the years, Singh has tried several occupations, including running a small newspaper and operating a snacks centre in Camp for around three years.
He holds degrees in commerce and law and previously practised as a lawyer.
The police, however, have not released a statement and are questioning the accused to identify the motive. Earlier reporting noted: Prime Minister Modi spoke directly with Harsimrat Kaur Badal to inquire about Sukhbir Badal’s health and well-being after news broke of the assault, ANI reported citing sources. Earlier reporting noted: PM Modi inquires about Sukhbir Badal’s health after kirpan attack inside Nanded Gurdwara Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reached out to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal over the phone following a shock attack on her husband and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The SAD president was assaulted inside a Gurdwara premises in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Thursday.
His wife works as a teacher at an English-medium school in Camp, while their daughter lives with her family in Pune’s Lullanagar. So far, Singh has not been found to have any links to criminal gangs or any criminal record. The SAD chief suffered injuries to his hand during the incident and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical care. Badal informed the Chief Minister that his condition was stable.
Singh lived alone in Nanded while his family remained in Pune, according to the police sources. Singh had very limited contact with his family after moving to Nanded, sources said. He told the police that he attacked Badal since he held him responsible for the drug menace in the state, sources said.
Earlier reporting noted: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also spoke to Sukhbir Badal over the phone to check on his recovery.
