Chandigarh. People queued up outside the Shiromani Akali Dal office since Wednesday morning to pay their last respects to Prakash Singh Badal. The Punjab government has declared a holiday on Thursday as a mark of respect to Badal, who was the chief minister of Punjab for five terms. The senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali about a week ago after he complained of breathing problems. He breathed his last at around eight o’clock on Tuesday night. He was 95 years old.
According to an official order, all government offices, departments, boards, corporations and educational institutions in the state will remain closed on Thursday. According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Chandigarh at 12 noon for the last darshan of Prakash Singh Badal. Badal’s mortal remains have been kept at the Shiromani Akali Dal head office here, where people can pay their last respects. The mortal remains of the SAD chief will be taken to his native village Badal in Muktsar at 12 noon via Rajpura, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Rampura Phul and Bathida.
A party leader told that his last rites will be performed on Thursday at 1 pm. The central government has already declared two days of state mourning across India on April 26 and 27 in honor of the former chief minister of Punjab. President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers, Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana and several leaders condoled Badal’s demise and appreciated his immense contribution to the state as well as the country. Prakash Singh Badal was born on 8 December 1927 in Abul Khurana village of Bathida, Punjab. Badal graduated from Forman Christian College, Lahore.
He started his political career when he became the sarpanch of Badal village in Bathida district. In 1957, he was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Malot on a Congress ticket. In the year 1969, he won the Gidderbaha assembly seat on an Akali Dal ticket. The Akali Dal was reorganized after the then Chief Minister of Punjab Gurnam Singh joined the Congress.
The Akali Dal elected Badal as its leader on 27 March 1970. After this, the Akali Dal formed the government in the state with the support of the Jana Sangh. He then became the youngest Chief Minister of the country. However, this coalition government could last only a little more than a year. After this, he was also the Chief Minister of the state in 1977–80, 1997–2002, 2007–12 and 2012–2017. At the end of his political career, Badal had handed over the reins of the Akali Dal to his son Sukhbir Singh Badal.
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