Modi in Chandigarh to pay last respects to former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal

• Shubham
• 26 April, 2023

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By: Shubham Ghosh

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (26) reached Chandigarh, the capital of the northern state of Punjab, and went to the office of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) political party to pay his last respects to Parkash Singh Badal, party patriarch and former chief minister of the state who passed away on Tuesday (25) at the age of 95.

Badal, who served many terms as the chief minister of Punjab, died at a private hospital in Mohali where he was admitted on April 16 after complaining of uneasiness and breathing trouble.

The mortal remains of Badal, who straddled the politics of Punjab for over seven decades, have been kept at the party office here as scores of mourners assembled to pay their last respects.

Modi had on Tuesday described the demise of Badal as a “personal loss” and said he was a colossal figure of Indian politics who contributed greatly to the nation.

“Extremely saddened by the passing away of Parkash Singh Badal Ji. He was a colossal figure of Indian politics and a remarkable statesman who contributed greatly to our nation,” Modi had said in a tweet.

Extremely saddened by the passing away of Shri Parkash Singh Badal Ji. He was a colossal figure of Indian politics, and a remarkable statesman who contributed greatly to our nation. He worked tirelessly for the progress of Punjab and anchored the state through critical times. pic.twitter.com/scx2K7KMCq

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2023

ਮੈਨੂੰ ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਕਈ ਵਾਰਤਾਲਾਪ ਯਾਦ ਹਨ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਿਆਣਪ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਸਾਫ਼ ਨਜ਼ਰ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਸੀ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਅਤੇ ਅਣਗਿਣਤ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ੰਸਕਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਹਮਦਰਦੀ। pic.twitter.com/VqqXboIBjS

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2023

Badal served as the chief minister of Punjab between 1970-71, 1977-80, 1997-2022 and 2007-17. He was also a minister in the federal government of Morarji Desai in 1977.

His SAD was once an ally of the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance but left it in September 2020 protesting against a controversial farm legislation by the Modi government.

(With PTI inputs)