Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon near Mata Sahib Gurdwara at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Thursday. The attack took place around 1:30 pm as Sukhbir Singh Badal was heading towards the gurdwara. An assailant approached him and allegedly tried to stab him, but police officials quickly intervened. Badal suffered an injury to his hand and was taken to Yashosai Hospital, where he is stable and undergoing treatment.
Inspector Santosh Kendre, who was deployed for special security, was also injured while intervening during the attack. One attacker has been detained. Footage recorded after the incident showed Sukhbir Singh Badal walking with a saffron cloth wrapped around his right hand.
#WATCH | Nanded, Maharashtra | Former Deputy CM of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal rushed to a hospital after being attacked by a Nihang inside Nanded Gurudwara. He has sustained injuries to his hand. pic.twitter.com/PnO2n4wGe9
— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2026
Sukhbir Singh Badal was with family during Nanded Sahib visit
Earlier on Thursday, Sukhbir Singh Badal had visited Takht Sri Hazur Sahib with his family. His wife and Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was also present when the attack took place.
The assault has been termed a life-threatening one since, as per the allegations, the culprit used a sharp weapon during the crime. It was at that point when the policemen intervened as the man was walking towards Sukhbir Singh Badal. But none of this could be verified since some sources reportedly claimed that his hand had got hurt due to the assault.
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis seeks Nanded SP report
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought information from the Nanded Superintendent of Police regarding the attack on former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in Nanded.
The accused has been arrested immediately in connection with the incident. The Chief Minister has ordered an investigation to ascertain the motive behind the attack.
Sukhbir Singh Badal had survived similar attack in 2024
The Nanded incident is not the first attack faced by Sukhbir Singh Badal. On December 4, 2024, he survived an assassination attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He escaped unharmed after the gunman was quickly overpowered and arrested.
At the time, Sukhbir Singh Badal was carrying out ‘sewadar’ duties at the Golden Temple after the Akal Takht assigned him the religious punishment of ‘tankhah’. The punishment followed alleged “mistakes” made by him and other Akali Dal leaders during the party’s Punjab tenure between 2007 and 2017.
The latest attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal has again raised concerns over security around prominent political figures at religious sites.
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Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
