Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was attacked at a gurdwara in Nanded on Thursday, today said the party would not let peace suffer in Punjab and that communal and religious harmony would remain its top priority. His remarks come amid an increasingly polarised political discourse in Punjab ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.Interacting with the media for the first time after being discharged from the hospital in Nanded, the former Deputy Chief Minister said his father, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, had never compromised on communal harmony and had always stood for peaceful coexistence among all communities.Badal said, “Whenever Parkash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister, he maintained communal harmony in the state and respected all religions. Anti-national and anti-Punjab elements want to destabilise Punjab and India. The Akali Dal will not let that happen.””Similar forces tried to target me a year ago and have done so again. Their objective is to exploit the situation in Punjab and disturb peace, which, as SAD president, I will never allow. Both incidents occurred at sacred places — first at the Golden Temple and now at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib,” he said.“I have always said no harm can come to a person protected by the Almighty Guru. Let them try with all their might; everything rests in God’s hands,” he added.Reiterating that he was not afraid, Badal said the SAD remained committed to maintaining communal harmony in Punjab.Badal’s emphasis on harmony comes amid an increasingly intense political contest in Punjab, with several parties and groups seeking to consolidate support among sections of the Sikh electorate.The Waris Punjab De has fielded Satwant Singh, son of Kehar Singh, who was hanged for his role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, from Bassi Pathana. The group has also announced the candidature of Daljit Singh Kalsi, a close aide of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, from Ajnala.Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s move to seek 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, a key conspirator in the 1995 assassination of then Chief Minister Beant Singh, has added another dimension to the political discourse.At the media interaction, Badal was accompanied by his wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and senior SAD leader Parambans Singh Bunty Romana.Sukhbir sustained an injury to his right arm in Thursday’s attack and was rushed to a private hospital, where he was treated and received stitches. He had earlier escaped an assassination attempt at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in December 2024 while performing sewa as part of religious penance.