The Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal had a narrow escape after a man fired at him at the entrance of Amritsar Golden Temple.
The shooter has been identified as Narain Singh Chaura, a Khalistani activist. He was overpowered by people and handed over to the police.
Sukhbir Badal, who was serving as a guard at the temple entrance as part of a religious punishment ducked to save his life as the man whipped out his weapon. Temple officials near the Akali Dal leader were swift to react and overpowered the shooter.
According to sources, Chaura had crossed over to Pakistan in 1984 and was instrumental in smuggling large consignments of weapons and explosives into Punjab. In Pakistan, Chaura reportedly authored a book on guerrilla warfare and “seditious” literature. He was also accused in the Burail jailbreak case. He has already served a jail term in Punjab.
In the sensational Burail jailbreak case of 2004, four inmates, including assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, escaped after digging a 94-foot tunnel.
Chaura has been booked in around a dozen cases in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ropar districts.
Sources said Chaura had a sophisticated 9 mm pistol, which is usually sent from across the border via drone by Pakistan.
The Akali Dal has demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, with senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema calling it a “big conspiracy” to push Punjab “back into the fire”.
“I want to ask (CM) Bhagwant Mann what he has done to the state,” Cheema said.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring blamed theAAP governmentt for iits forits complete negligence. He has demanded the suspension of the Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“This shows the condition of Punjab’s law and order situation, ” he said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann praised the “promptness” of the Punjab Police in preventing a potentially major incident.
