Shoe hurled at Badal in Lambi

Lambi: A shoe was today hurled at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by a relative of a radical Sikh leader during an election campaign at Ratta Khera village here.

40-year-old Gurbachan Singh allegedly hurled the shoe towards Badal, which first hit security personnel and then touched 89-year-old Badal’s turban, police said.

“A man identified as Gurbachan Singh, a relative of a Sikh radical leader, hurled shoe at Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal,” Muktsar SSP Dhruman H Nimbale said today.

A security official guarding Badal tried to stop the shoe with his hand. “After hitting the security personnel, the shoe then touched the turban of CM,” Nimbale said, adding that there was no injury to Badal in this incident.

The SSP said the incident occurred at village Ratta Khera where Badal was busy in a public meeting during his election campaign.

“CM was just getting up after completing his address when a shoe was hurled by Gurbachan towards CM,” he said.

Gurbachan is brother of radical Sikh leader Amrik Singh Ajnala. “He appeared to be upset over the sacrilege incidents which took place in Punjab,” the SSP said, adding that he had been nabbed.

A case will be registered against the accused, he said.

A few days back, a group of people threw stones at the cavalcade of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Kandhwala Hazir Khan village in his constituency, Jalalabad in Fazilka district, leaving four Akali supporters injured.