Sukhbir Singh Badal Attack Updates: A man opened fire at former deputy chief minister of Punjab and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal while he was serving his penance at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Mr Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair, escaped unhurt as the bullet hit a wall.

The man, identified as Narain Singh, was overpowered by some people standing outside the temple.

Visuals from the incident spot show Mr Badal sitting at the gate of the Golden Temple with a spear in one hand and dressed in a blue ‘sewadar’ uniform. A supposedly middle-aged man slowly approaches the temple’s gate and pulls out a gun. A man standing near Mr Badal can be seen spotting the accused and holding his hand.

The shooter has been arrested and police are investigating the motive behind the shocking attack.

Here are the latest updates on the attempted attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal:

Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will set out for the Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh shortly to take stock of the situation in the area in the aftermath of violence over the survey of a mosque. Congress workers have gathered outside their 10 Janpath residence to accompany the Gandhi siblings to Sambhal. Massive security arrangements have been made on the route and Uttar Pradesh police will try to stop the Gandhis from reaching Sambhal, citing sensitive law and order situation in the area.

Prohibitory orders are in place in the western Uttar Pradesh town after four people were killed and several others injured in violent clashes with police during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The Mughal-era mosque is at the centre of a legal battle after some petitions claimed it was built on the site of a Hindu temple. Local Samajwadi Party MP Zia Ur Rehman, Samajwadi Party MLA Mahmood’s son Sohail Iqbal and over 700 unidentified people have been charged in the FIR filed in connection with the violence.

Police and administration have said they would not allow outsiders to visit the area, citing the law and order situation. The prohibitory orders have been extended to December 31. Earlier, a delegation of Samajwadi Party MPs was stopped from entering the district.

District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia has written to the police commissioners of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad and the police superintendents of Amroha and Bulandshahr and urged them to stop Mr Gandhi. Besides the Gandhi siblings, five Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh are part of the delegation.

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai has told news agency PTI that they will insist that at least a four-member delegation be allowed to proceed to Sambhal.

A hardline Sikh activist attempted to assassinate former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple by opening fire. A swift-acting sewadar prevented the shooting by deflecting the attacker’s arm. Sukhbir continued his religious duties despite the ordeal. The attacker was identified but police have not officially confirmed it.