Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted of assassinating then Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh in 1995, on Friday condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal at Hazur Sahib in Nanded.In a three-page open letter addressed to the Khalsa Panth, Rajoana urged the Sikh community to remain vigilant against “divisive forces” allegedly attempting to create fissures within the Panth.Though he did not mention any names, he appeared to target jailed Waris Punjab De chief and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh and late WPD leader Sandeep Singh alias Deep Sidhu.Rajoana, who is lodged in Central Jail, Patiala, said agencies working against the Sikhs were allegedly projecting “Panth-parast” (Panth supporters) as “Panth-virodhi” (opponents of the Panth), while portraying adversaries of the faith as its saviours.He alleged that people with questionable conduct were being projected in the image of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, while another person who died in an accident while travelling with a woman was being portrayed as a martyr.He warned that such portrayals could mislead Sikh youth and take them away from the correct path.Efforts to obtain a response from Waris Punjab De on the issue elicited no response.Strongly condemning the attack on Sukhbir Badal and his family while they were paying obeisance at Hazur Sahib, Rajoana described it as contrary to Panthic traditions.“Attacking a devotee at Guru Ghar is against Sikh principles,” he said, adding that no true Sikh of the Guru would attack anyone who visited a gurdwara with faith and devotion, irrespective of how serious an adversary that person might be.Rajoana said Sukhbir Badal had arrived at the holy shrine with his family and children to seek blessings and demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into the attack.Referring to Sikh political history, he said the Shiromani Akali Dal had long remained an “eyesore” for anti-Sikh forces. He cited the assassination of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, attacks on Jathedars Jagdev Singh Talwandi and Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and the killing of 28 Akali candidates in 1991 as instances of attempts to weaken the party and leave it leaderless. He claimed the recurring attacks on Sukhbir Badal were part of the same “ongoing conspiracy”.Taking aim at opposition parties, Rajoana alleged that attempts were being made to mislead the Panth by linking the Nanded attack with incidents of sacrilege during the SAD-BJP government.He questioned why Sukhbir Badal was being held responsible for sacrilege incidents during the Akali regime, while former Chief Ministers Capt Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi, as well as incumbent Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, were not similarly held accountable for incidents that occurred during their respective tenures. He also criticised what he described as the “double standards” of self-styled Panthic leaders.Recalling the earlier attack on Sukhbir Badal while he was performing sewa at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Rajoana said the absence of concrete Panthic action at that time raised serious questions.He appealed to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib to take strict action, in accordance with Panthic traditions, against those responsible for attacking Sukhbir Badal and his family, saying this was necessary to preserve the sanctity of Sikh shrines and Panthic traditions.A former Punjab Police constable, Rajoana was convicted for his involvement in the assassination of Beant Singh on August 31, 1995.Rajoana was the backup bomber in case the primary plan failed. He was sentenced to death by a special CBI court in 2007.