Chandigarh |DW Bureau| , Dec 4 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday lauded the Punjab Police for foiling a deep-rooted conspiracy to defame Punjab by vigilantly preventing an attack on Akali leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in Amritsar. Interacting with the media, the Chief Minister condemned the attack in the strongest terms and said that there “is no place for such dastardly acts at a sacred place like Sri Harmandir Sahib.”

Mann said the government had already deployed around 175 cops apart from senior officers to prevent any untoward incident. He said this produced the desired result as a conspiracy to bring a bad name to the state was foiled by the police who were keeping an “eagle eye” around Sri Harmandir Sahib. The Chief Minister said he is keeping a regular tab on the entire incident and has directed officers to maintain maximum vigil against anti-social elements.

Mann said he has already directed the Director General of Police to conduct a thorough probe into the matter. “Punjab is the land of the gurus, saints, seers, martyrs and has always been a torch-bearer to mankind for values of brotherhood and communal harmony,” he said, adding “maintaining the hard-earned peace in the state is the first and foremost priority for him and his government and no one will be allowed to disturb it.”

Condemning an attempt to shoot Sukhbir Singh Badal, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said the incident was not an attack on Badal but rather an attack on a Darbar Sahib 'sevadar', who was performing ‘seva’. He urged the AAP government in Punjab to conduct a thorough investigation into the case. Khalistan sympathiser and assailant Narain Singh Chaura, allegedly a former militant who faces many cases and was accused in the sensational Burail jailbreak case in Chandigarh in 2004, opened fire at Sukhbir Singh Badal when he was sitting on “punishment” guard duty outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

In a video, Sukhbir Badal was seen in a blue 'sewadar' uniform holding a spear and the shooter whipped out the gun at point-blank range. However, the policemen were swift to react and overpowered the assailant. He escaped unhurt as the bullet hit a wall.

According to police, Chaura had crossed over to Pakistan in 1984 and was instrumental in smuggling weapons and explosives into Punjab during the initial phase of militancy. He was allegedly associated with the Khalistan Liberation Force and the Akal Federation. He was also wanted in cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ropar districts. While in Pakistan, he allegedly authored a book on guerrilla warfare and "seditious" literature.