Khalistani leader Narain Singh Chaura allegedly opened fire at senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday morning inside the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar. The attack took place while Badal, former Punjab deputy chief minister, was on “punishment” guard duty as part of his penance for mistakes made by the SAD government from 2007 to 2017.
Chaura, who faces multiple cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, reportedly attempted to shoot Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg. However, the shot missed, and the assailant was quickly overpowered by bystanders. Security personnel then detained Chaura, who was escorted away after the incident. A bullet hit the wall behind Badal, but he was unharmed.
After the incident, Badal, as part of the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment), washed utensils at Golden Temple.
The attack was captured by media cameras as Badal sat outside the Golden Temple, holding a spear in one hand and wearing a blue ‘sewadar’ uniform, with a sign acknowledging his “misdeeds” around his neck. He had been performing this duty as part of his religious penance.
Chaura, a notorious figure, has been jailed multiple times for terrorism-related activities. He fled to Pakistan in 1984, where he allegedly smuggled weapons and explosives into Punjab during the early stages of militancy. While in Pakistan, he reportedly authored a book on guerrilla warfare and “seditious” literature. He returned to India in the mid-1990s and remained involved in terrorist activities, reports The Indian Express, citing police.
Chaura was also arrested in connection with the 2003-2004 Burail jailbreak case, where he was accused of providing mobile phones and banned substances to the assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who were incarcerated in Chandigarh’s Burail Jail, police said.
Released on bail in 2022, Chaura faced multiple charges in various districts of Punjab, including Amritsar, Ropar, and Tarn Taran.