Bathinda
 
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal returned to Punjab on Tuesday and visited Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda for the first time after the attack on him, offering prayers of thanksgiving and seeking divine blessings for Punjab’s peace, communal harmony and prosperity. Accompanied by MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Sukhbir thanked the millions of devotees and well-wishers who had prayed for his safety and delivered a strong political message: Punjab must be saved and everyone must come together to protect its peace and unity.
 
Sukhbir, after paying obeisance, alleged that “certain forces” had become active in Punjab which did not consider the state their home and wanted to “finish” its leadership. He claimed that weakening Sikh leadership and disturbing Punjab’s peace and order were part of their agenda.
 
Sukhbir said some people wanted to bring back Punjab’s troubled past, but asserted that the Akali Dal would not allow the state’s peace to be disturbed “at any cost”. His remarks assumed a distinctly political tone as he positioned the SAD as a force standing against attempts to destabilise Punjab.
 
Referring to the party’s nearly 105-year history, Sukhbir said the SAD had fought the British before Independence and subsequently struggled for Punjab’s interests. He said the party had consistently raised its voice and made sacrifices whenever farmers, the poor, Punjabiyat or the Khalsa Panth faced a crisis.
 
Sukhbir said the responsibility of leading the party had been entrusted to him and that he would make every possible effort to safeguard Punjab’s peace, brotherhood and prosperity. Respect for all religions and the welfare of Punjab, he said, remained the SAD’s core mission. He also prayed for the return of happiness and stability to the state.
 
Harsimrat Badal said Sukhbir’s wounds were healing, with the stitches having been removed and a plaster now covering the affected area. She alleged that attempts were being made to disturb Punjab’s atmosphere and claimed that Sukhbir had been targeted by “opposing forces” as part of those efforts.
 
She said that over the past two years, Sukhbir had faced several attacks and that divine protection had saved him each time. She also thanked the sangat and other well-wishers who had prayed for his safety.
 
A large number of SAD workers and devotees were present at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib during the visit, which gave Sukhbir’s first post-attack religious visit a clear political undertone as he sought to turn the episode into a wider appeal for unity around Punjab’s peace, brotherhood and identity.