Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a kirpan by Nihang Sikh Jaspal Singh inside Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji in Nanded, Maharashtra, on August 13, 2026. Badal, on a personal visit under Z-plus security, suffered hand injuries and was treated in hospital. The incident has triggered scrutiny of his security and a detailed police probe.
ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal was attacked with a sharp weapon by a Nihang inside a gurdwara premises in Nanded, Maharashtra. The SAD chief and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab was attacked inside the premises of Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji in the Mata Sahib Kaur area of Nanded. This happened soon after Badal arrived at the gurdwara to offer prayers. The attacker has been taken into police custody.
The attacker has been identified as a Nihang Sikh named Jaspal Singh, who allegedly used a kirpan to attack the Akali Dal leader. The attacker was immediately detained by the police, and the police are investigating the reason behind the attack. Badal was with his wife and Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal when the incident happened.
As per the Nanded Superintendent of Police's office, the incident took place at around 1:50 pm at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Deva Ji, Nanded. The SP office said, as quoted by NDTV, "Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister S. Sukhbir Singh Badal was on a tour of Nanded district. Today, August 13, 2026, at around 1:50 PM, after completing his darshan at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Deva Ji, village Muga, Taluka Mudkhed, a Sikh sevadari attacked him with a dagger, injuring him."
A video recorded after the incident shows Badal walking while wrapping a saffron cloth around his right hand. He was immediately taken to Yashosai Hospital in Nanded for treatment. A security personnel, Inspector Santosh Kendre, who was deployed as part of Badal’s security, suffered a minor injury while intervening and attempting to protect Badal. He was also taken to the hospital.
He was on a personal visit to Nanded when the incident happened and was under full police protection because of his Z-plus security cover. Because of earlier attacks and Badal being a former two-time Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and former Union minister, he was provided with Z-plus security. This attack on him has raised questions over the security arrangements in place for the senior political leader.
Following the attack, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the Nanded Superintendent of Police and asked for a detailed report about the incident. He directed the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack to determine the motive behind it.
This was not the first time an assassination attempt was made against Sukhbir Singh Badal. Earlier, on December 4, 2024, a former Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist and Khalistan sympathiser also opened fire on Badal. This happened outside the premises of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The gunman who attacked Badal was later identified as Narain Singh Chaura.
At that time, Badal was performing his duties as a 'sewadar' at the Golden Temple. This happened after the Akal Takht pronounced a ‘tankhah,’ a form of religious punishment, against Badal and several other leaders of the Akali Dal. The punishment was for their actions during the party’s rule in Punjab between 2007 and 2017.
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