A day after escaping a murderous attack, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that communal and religious harmony was the number one priority for the party.Interacting for the first time with the press after being discharged from the hospital, the former Deputy Chief Minister Badal said that his father – former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal — never compromised against these communal forces.He added that his father always stood for people and wanted that all religious communities should live in harmony.“Whenever my father — Parkash Singh Badal — was the chief minister, he maintained communal harmony in the state and respected all religions. These forces had made (such) an attempt on me a year back also and they have tried again. Their mission is to take advantage of the situation in Punjab and disturb peace, which as SAD president I will never allow. Both times, they launched an attack on me at sacred places. The first attack was at Golden Temple and the second at Takht Shri Hazur Sahib.”Related news: Attack on Sukhbir Badal: SAD chief stable after 90-minute surgery, dischargedSukhbir Badal injured in sword attack at Nanded gurdwara; accused nabbedHarsimrat hails Maharashtra cop for shielding Sukhbir Badal during attack at Nanded gurdwaraBikram Majithia links Nanded attack on Sukhbir Badal to Golden Temple attack, seeks CBI probeAmit Shah calls Harsimrat Kaur, assures her fair probe into attack on Sukhbir Badal at Nanded gurdwara“I have always said that nothing can happen to a person who is protected by the almighty Guru. Let them try with all their might, everything is in the hands of God. Those who are enemies of peace and harmony have tried to harm me several times but I am always protected by the almighty Guru.”Sukhbir was accompanied by his wife and MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal and senior Akali leader Parambans Singh Bunty Romana.Sukhbir reiterated, “I was not afraid then, I am not afraid now. SAD is committed towards ensuring communal harmony,” said Badal.  Sukhbir was injured in the attack and sustained an injury to his right arm. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he received three stitches.The former Punjab Deputy CM, who had earlier escaped an attack at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in December 2024, was in Nanded when the incident took place.Harsimrat also thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for calling her to enquire about Sukhbir’s health. She later shared that she was deeply touched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture of reaching out to enquire about her husband’s health.The attacker, identified as Jaspal Singh, was arrested. Singh, aged around 60-62 years old, is a law graduate and has been working as a sewadar at the gurdwara for nearly two years. He has no criminal record.On December 4, 2024, Narayan Singh Chaura, a former Khalistani militant, attacked Sukhbir while he was performing duty of sewadar outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar as penance for “mistakes causing harm to the Sikh panth”.