Nanded: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked at a gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded on Thursday, with police identifying the accused as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh, a Nihang Sikh who had reportedly been staying at the gurdwara for nearly two years.

Singh allegedly moved towards Badal while the SAD leader was at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji near Takht Sri Hazur Sahib and attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon. Badal suffered an injury to his hand.

A police officer was also hurt while intervening, after which Singh was restrained and taken into custody.

Who is Jaspal Singh?

What is known about Singh so far is limited. Police have identified him as a Nihang, and reports say he had been living at the Nanded gurdwara for about two years.

His long association with the religious complex is now an important part of the investigation because it indicates that he was familiar with the premises and had regular access to the area.

Police are questioning him to establish his background and determine whether anyone else was involved in planning or facilitating the attack.

Authorities have not, so far, established any connection between Singh and a banned organisation or an organised extremist group.

Why did he attack Sukhbir Badal?

The motive remains unclear. According to police sources cited in reports, Singh initially told investigators that he ‘just felt like doing it’ when asked why he attacked Badal.

Sources also claim Singh held Badal responsible for Punjab’s drug problem, although police have yet to officially establish this as the motive behind the attack.

Police are reportedly not treating that explanation as sufficient and are continuing their questioning to understand what prompted the assault.

There is also a reported political angle. According to one account citing police sources, Singh spoke about 'their government’ being in power, suggesting that he may have had a political grievance.

However, investigators have not publicly confirmed that this was the reason he targeted Badal.

The attack therefore raises several unanswered questions. Was Singh acting because of a personal grievance against Badal?

Did he have political or religious objections to the SAD leader? Or was there a larger plan behind the assault?

At present, none of these possibilities has been conclusively established.

The Maharashtra authorities have ordered an investigation, while police continue to question Singh about his motive and possible links to the incident.

For now, the confirmed picture is of a 62-year-old Nihang Sikh, reportedly living at the Nanded gurdwara for around two years, who was arrested after allegedly attacking Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The reason he chose Badal as his target remains under investigation.