Shoe hurled at Badal at public meeting in Lambi constituency

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Lambi, January 11

A shoe was hurled at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at his public meeting programme at Rattakhera Chhota village in Lambi constituency on Wednesday.

The man responsible for this was identified as Gurbachan Singh, who was taken in custody. He was reportedly annoyed over the incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib.

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Gurbachan is reportedly the brother of parallel jathedar of Takht Keshgarh Sahib, Bhai Amrik Singh Ajnala.

Sources said Gurbachan, 45, is a voter at Rattakhera Chhota village, but has been currently staying at Jhurarkhera village in Abohar.

He was sitting in the public in the third row and all of a sudden he threw the shoe at Badal, which reportedly hit the latter’s spectacles.

Badal continued with his programme scheduled for the day. He said, “There is no protest against us at Rattakhera village. The man who threw the shoe was an outsider, a resident of Abohar. He is a relative of Amrik Singh Ajnala. The police will take action.”                       

Gurbachan was taken to Kabarwala police station. 

Speaking over the phone, Amrik Singh Ajnala said, "Gurbachan is my younger brother. We had no contact in the last two-three days. Someone from the village informed me that he has hurled a shoe at the Chief Minister to show his annoyance over the incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib. I can't comment whether he took a right step or not. But I can say that entire Sikh community is hurt with large number of desecration incidents."