Chandigarh, April 26
People started queuing up at the SAD office here since early morning on Wednesday to pay their last respects to Parkash Singh Badal while the Punjab government declared a holiday on Thursday in honour of the five-time Punjab chief minister who died on Tuesday aged 95.
All government offices, departments, boards, corporations and educational institutions in the state will remain shut on Thursday, according to an official order.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Chandigarh at 12 noon to pay his last respects to Parkash Singh Badal.
Badal had not been keeping well for some time and was admitted to the Fortis Hospital in Mohali near here over a week ago after he complained of uneasiness in breathing. He died on Tuesday and his mortal remains have been kept at the Shiromani Akali Dal head office here for people to pay their tributes to the departed soul.
The SAD patriarch’s mortal remains will be taken to his native village Badal in Muktsar at 12 noon via Rajpura, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Rampura Phul and Bathinda. The cremation will take place at 1 pm on Thursday, a party leader said.
The central government has already announced two days of state mourning on April 26 and 27 across India as a mark of respect to the former Punjab chief minister.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Modi, several central ministers and the Punjab and Haryana chief ministers and leaders cutting across party lines condoled Badal’s demise and hailed his immense contributions to the state as well as the country.
The grand old man of Punjab politics first became chief minister in 1970, heading a coalition government that did not complete its term. He was also the chief minister in 1977-80, 1997-2002, 2007-12 and 2012-2017.
Born on December 8, 1927, in Abul Khurana near Malout, Badal graduated from Forman Christian College in Lahore. His first political posts were the sarpanch of Badal village and the chairman of the block samiti.
He entered the state assembly from Malout in 1957 as the Congress nominee. In 1969, he won the Gidderbaha assembly seat on the SAD ticket. When Gurnam Singh, the then chief minister, defected to the Congress in 1970, the SAD regrouped and formed the government with the support of the Jana Sangh.
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