Prompt action by an alert Punjab cop on Wednesday helped thwart a murderous bid on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Assistant sub-inspector Jasbir Singh, who was standing close to Sukhbir Badal at the entrance of the Golden Temple in plainclothes, swung into action the moment he sensed a threat to the senior Akali leader.
Television footage showed Narain Singh Chaura, a former terrorist, slowly moving towards Sukhbir Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, and suddenly pulling out a gun from his pocket.
But before Chaura could pull the trigger, an alert Singh pounced on him, grabbed his hands, pushed them upwards and whisked him away.
In the melee, the gun fired but fortunately the bullet hit the entrance wall of the shrine behind Sukhbir Badal, who escaped unhurt.
Other security personnel present on the spot along with members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee task force immediately intervened and snatched the weapon from Chaura.
Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, ASI Singh said he was just performing his duty.
Singh also said that senior police officers briefed him to remain alert and keep an eye on all possible wrong elements.
"I was alert when he (Chaura) came. When he took out his pistol, we overpowered him and snatched his weapon," Singh said.
The audacious attack, which took place at around 9:30 am, was captured by mediapersons camping outside the Golden Temple to cover Day 2 of Sukhbir Badal's penance for the "mistakes" committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, meanwhile, lauded the policemen for their role in foiling the murder bid on Sukhbir Badal.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also hailed the promptness of Punjab Police in nabbing the attacker.
Special Director General of Police, Arpit Shukla, said one assistant inspector general of police, two superintendents of police, two deputy superintendents of police and 175 police personnel were deployed at the Golden Temple.
However, senior SAD leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party for the incident.
"I have shared a video that shows the accused was in the area since yesterday," Majithia told reporters in Amritsar.
Stating that Chaura faced multiple cases, many of them serious, Majithia said, "He was wearing a cream coloured sweater yesterday. If the police were so alert, why didn't they arrest him? Instead, police gave him VIP treatment and were probably waiting for the bullet to be fired," Majithia claimed.
On ASI Singh, Majithia said he has been attached with Sukhbir Badal since 2002 as part of his security and was like a part of the family.
"He not only saved Sukhbir ji's life, but devotees' too," Majithia said.
"Now he is being pressurised to say that Punjab police were alert which saved the day. My question is where was the district police when the person carrying a 9 mm semi-automatic weapon was openly roaming around in the area. Where was the intelligence," Majitha asked.
He also claimed that law and order has collapsed in Punjab while the AAP government has left the people on their own.
If a state government cannot provide security at a place visited by thousands of devotees daily, what else can it do, the SAD leader asked.
"The height of shamelessness is that they are now patting their back," he added.
Earlier too there have been conspiracies to wipe out the Akali leadership, Majithia claimed in response to a question.
