Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reached out to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal over the phone following a shock attack on her husband and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The SAD president was assaulted inside a Gurdwara premises in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Thursday.
Prime Minister Modi spoke directly with Harsimrat Kaur Badal to inquire about Sukhbir Badal’s health and well-being after news broke of the assault, ANI reported citing sources. Police acted swiftly to arrest the accused immediately after the incident, ANI reported citing CMO sources. The SAD chief suffered injuries to his hand during the incident and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical care. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also spoke to Sukhbir Badal over the phone to check on his recovery. Badal informed the Chief Minister that his condition was stable. Chief Minister Fadnavis has instructed the Nanded Superintendent of Police to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact motive behind the assault. SAD national vice-president Sanjeev Talwar strongly condemned the violent incident, pointing to severe security failures surrounding the former Deputy Chief Minister, who holds Z+ security cover.
