Chandigarh, The Chautala family of Haryana, which has close ties with the Badal family, has expressed grief over the death of Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal.
The senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader was admitted to Mohali’s Fortis Hospital a week ago after he complained of breathlessness. He breathed his last at around eight o’clock on Tuesday night. He was 95 years old. Senior Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala said on Tuesday, “He was the head of our family.
Abhay Singh Chautala, the younger son of INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, said, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by his demise. For the last five decades, Sardar Prakash Singh Badal had an unbreakable bond with our family. The Chautalas and the Badals, the two powerful political families of Haryana and Punjab, have had close ties for a long time. Badal was a close friend of former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal, popularly known as ‘Tau Devi Lal’. Badal was also a close friend of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala.
INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala said that Devilal and Badal together fought a long struggle to save the country’s democratic system. Both the leaders also went to jail during the Emergency. Devilal’s great-grandson Dushyant Chautala said Badal’s death was an irreparable loss to the country. Badal, a veteran of Punjab politics, first became chief minister in 1970 and led a coalition government that did not complete its term. After this, he was also the Chief Minister of the state in 1977–80, 1997–2002, 2007–12 and 2012–2017.
In the last phase of his political career, Badal handed over the reins of Akali Dal to his son Sukhbir Singh Badal.
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