Five people were injured when they were attacked by a man with an iron rod at Amritsar’s Golden Temple complex, the police said. The man was arrested and the situation was brought under control, news agency IANS reported.
Panic gripped as the man began the attack near the community kitchen, or Guru Ram Das langar, where devotees and locals were present.
Two sewadars (volunteers) of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) were among the injured people. One of the injured has been admitted to Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Amritsar, IANS reported.
The attacker and his accomplice were overpowered by people inside the temple complex, before they were arrested.
The police said the accused surveyed the area before the attack.
“The second accused allegedly conducted recce along with the one who attacked devotees,” a police officer told reporters.
The key accused went out and returned with an iron rod before he began attacking the SGPC staff and the devotees who tried to intervene.
Police officer Sarmel Singh said the accused has been identified as Zulfan, a resident of Haryana. He said he was also injured in the incident.
The police said they are investigating to find the motive behind the attack, and asked people not to panic.
The incident, however, sparked outrage among the Sikh community. The SGPC filed a police complaint against the assailant.
The incident has raised concerns about the security of devotees.
Earlier, a man opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at the entrance of the Golden Temple in December last year.
The assailant, later identified as Narayan Singh Chaura, was taken into custody after being overpowered by a bodyguard.
