Sukhbir Badal Attack: Second Incident Raises Questions Over Security and Parole Timing

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked on Wednesday in Nanded, Maharashtra, marking the second such incident against the former Punjab deputy chief minister in under two years. The attack has prompted renewed debate over his security and has drawn attention to the coinciding developments surrounding the parole plea of Jagtar Singh Hawara, a convict in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.

Hawara, who is serving a life sentence, is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi. On Thursday, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria said he had recommended Hawara's parole on humanitarian grounds, allowing him to meet his 83-year-old ailing mother, Narinder Kaur. The recommendation came after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann requested the governor to facilitate a 10-day parole for Hawara. A final decision on the matter is still pending.

The attack on Badal in Nanded has revived memories of an earlier incident on December 4, 2024, when Narain Singh Chaura allegedly fired at him outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Badal was then performing religious penance and escaped unhurt after a security officer deflected the attacker's aim. Chaura was arrested at the scene.

Chaura's past has come under fresh scrutiny due to his alleged connection to the 2004 Burail jailbreak. He was among those accused of helping Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara, Paramjit Singh Bheora, and Devi Singh escape through a tunnel from the Burail jail in Chandigarh. Investigators had alleged that Chaura was in contact with Hawara around the time of the escape, including phone calls on the night of the jailbreak. However, in 2015, Chaura was acquitted in the case after the prosecution failed to prove conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt.

Following the 2024 attack on Badal, Chaura was arrested again but later granted bail by an Amritsar court in March 2025. The court cited the time he had already spent in custody and the likely duration of the trial.

The latest attack has now been viewed through a wider political and security lens. No official link has been established between the two attacks or between the attack and Hawara's parole request. However, the timing has intensified calls for a detailed investigation.

Senior Akali Dal leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia said the incident should not be treated as an isolated attack. He alleged there could be a larger conspiracy behind the repeated targeting of Badal and demanded a high-level inquiry. Majithia also questioned whether the earlier Golden Temple attack had been thoroughly investigated and urged agencies to examine all possible connections.

The parole issue has drawn support from several political figures. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has publicly backed Hawara's parole request, and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who is Beant Singh's grandson, has also urged the governor to grant the parole. Badal and the Akali Dal have historically supported the release of Sikh prisoners convicted or detained in cases related to the Punjab militancy period, a category that includes Hawara.

So far, Badal has not publicly stated a specific position on Hawara's parole. The investigation into the Nanded attack is ongoing, and authorities have yet to release further details about the attacker or the circumstances. For now, the twin events have renewed focus on security protocols for political leaders and the legal processes surrounding high-profile convicts.