Attack on Badal: Majithia Slams Amritsar Police Commissioner for 'Sympathy Angle' Remark

Chandigarh: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia Thursday slammed the Amritsar police commissioner for his statement that police is also investigating the "sympathy angle" in the assassination bid on Sukhbir Badal, suggesting the attack on the SAD leader was "engineered to gain sympathy".

Majithia, who is also Badal's brother-in-law, accused police of diverting the attention from its "complete failure" in the attack.

Former Punjab deputy chief minister Badal escaped a bid on his life on Wednesday when former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singhb Chaura fired at him from a close range at the Golden Temple's entrance but missed as plainclothes policemen overpowered him.

The audacious attack was captured on cameras by media persons who had gathered to cover the second day of Badal performing the duty of 'sewadar' at the main gate of the Sikh shrine as religious penance for "mistakes" made by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Speaking to the media here, former Punjab minister Majithia hit out at Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar for his statement, alleging the police officer tried to give the impression that the attack on Badal could have been "engineered to create sympathy" for the SAD leader.

Majithia called it a "lie" and said it was done to "divert attention from the complete failure of the Amritsar Police to protect Badal".

The SAD leader said, "It would be better if the police commissioner tells Punjabis why none of the 175 personnel posted at Sri Darbar Sahib tried to even frisk Chaura, let alone apprehend him".

On Wednesday, Amritsar Police Commissioner Bhullar had said police would investigate all angles in the case, including if any organisation was behind the incident or it was carried out to "gain sympathy".

"We are deeply investigating the matter. What was his (Chaura) mentality and what did he have in mind? Besides, (the role of any) organisation or political angle behind the incident (will be probed).

"Third is the sympathy angle. We are being asked whether this (incident) was done to gain sympathy. We will deeply investigate the matter in a transparent manner," Bhullar had in reply to a question.

Referring to another police officer, Majithia also alleged that an SP-rank officer in Amritsar shook hands with Chaura at the Golden Temple complex on December 3, a day prior to the attack on Badal and asked why police did not take the former militant into custody even on the next day despite knowing about his antecedents.

He claimed there was video footage from the Golden Temple complex, showing how the SP was on "friendly terms" with Chaura.

Meanwhile, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the party has called an emergency meeting of the core committee on December 6 to discuss the "murderous attack" on Badal.

The meeting will be presided by party's working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar.