As the Maharashtra police continue to investigate the assassination attempt on Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, a fresh dispute has begun between the AAP and the SAD.
SAD functionary and ex-Punjab minister Daljit Singh Cheema on Thursday lashed out at the AAP for allegedly trying to politicise the attack on Badal by bringing in the sensitive topic of the 2015 sacrilege.
He angrily questioned whether the AAP wanted the 1991 conditions, which saw 26 candidates of the SAD killed during campaigning ahead of the Assembly elections that year, which were later cancelled, as per a Times of India report.
The dispute came after AAP general secretary Baltej Pannu condemned the attack—which took place at the Mata Sahib Gurdwara in Maharashtra's Nanded—by Jaspal Singh, a sewadar (helper) dressed as a Nihang Sikh, who tried to use his kirpan (dagger) to stab Badal at the stomach.
However, Pannu also said that the Akali Dal needed to reflect on its "reign of terror", referring to the party's reign in Punjab alongside the BJP between 2007 and 2017.
"During the Akali Dal Badal-led government, the desecrations that took place, the mistreatment of the congregation, and the injustices against them still evoke deep resentment in the hearts of the faithful to this day," Pannu said in an X post.
Sukhbir Badal had been among several Akali Dal leaders who were part of the CM Parkash Singh Badal-led (Sukhbir's father) coalition government during that period, who were found guilty of religious misconduct.
This includes the 2015 Bargari cases, which saw the desecration of the Sikh holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, and the killing of protesters that followed afterwards.
This later led to these Akali Dal leaders being handed a tankhah (punishment) from the Akal Takht Sahib, which mandated that they atone by working at the Golden Temple as sewadars.
It was during this community service that the first assassination attempt on Badal took place, had been targeted by an armed pro-Khalistan hardliner, Narain Singh Chaura, but managed to escape death.
Efforts are currently underway to find out Jaspal Singh's motives for trying to kill Badal.
