Wed Dec 04 06:38:32 UTC 2024: ## SAD Leader Condemns Attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal as Attempt to Destabilize Punjab
**New Delhi, December 4, 2024** – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Naresh Gujral has condemned the assassination attempt on party president Sukhbir Singh Badal as a bid to destabilize Punjab and revive the volatile politics of the 1980s. Speaking to *The Hindu* following the attack, which was caught on camera, Mr. Gujral described the incident as an attempt to erase the moderate voice in Punjab’s political landscape and fracture the peace between Sikh and Hindu communities.
He called for a National Investigative Agency (NIA) probe into potential links to Pakistan or other external forces aiming to reignite Khalistan demands. Mr. Gujral criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s handling of law and order, citing rampant gang activity and police demoralization as contributing factors to the climate of unrest.
He also linked the current political instability to the breakdown of the former alliance between the SAD and BJP, suggesting the BJP’s actions created a power vacuum that allowed for the election of Sikh separatist figures like Amritpal Singh Sandhu and Sarabjit Singh Khalsa to the Lok Sabha. Mr. Gujral highlighted the historical role of the SAD-BJP alliance in fostering peace between Sikh and Hindu communities following the violence of the 1980s, contrasting it with the current political climate. He emphasized the serious international implications of the attack, given Punjab’s border state status.
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