BJP chief Nadda, Union Minister Puri, Pawar visit family

BADAL, PUNJAB (TIP): Cutting across party lines, thousands bid tearful adieu to former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was cremated with full state honors at Badal village in Muktsar district today.

Badal, 95, died at a hospital in Mohali on Tuesday, April 25. The last rites of the grand old man of state politics were performed by his son and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal along with his daughters, Harkirat Kaur and Gurleen Kaur, and son Anantveer Singh at their orchard.

Sukhbir’s estranged cousin Manpreet Badal’s son Arjun and daughter Rhea, sister Parneet Kaur Kairon’s son Jai also lit the pyre. The SAD leadership claimed that the family had given a message of women empowerment following the teachings of the Guru Sahibs. A few minutes before lighting the pyre, Sukhbir broke down.

A brigade of policemen gave a gun salute to the former Chief Minister.

Earlier, during the day, the mortal remains of Badal were kept in the courtyard of his house, so that people could have his last ‘darshan’. Senior BJP leadership, including its national president JP Nadda, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and leader Tarun Chugh also visited the residence. Former Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar too visited the family’s residence.

Among the prominent persons who came to pay tributes to the leader included Union Minister of State Som Parkash, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, CM Bhagwant Mann, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM, Haryana, Dushyant Chautala, former CMs of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala and Bhupinder Hooda, J&K former CM Omar Abdullah, former Union Minister Pawan Bansal, Punjab Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Dr Baljit Kaur, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ranjit Chautala, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former minister of Rajasthan Gurjant Singh Brar, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SGPC former presidents Hargobind Singh Longowal and Bibi Jagir Kaur, DSGMC chief Harmeet Singh Kalka, DSGMC former presidents Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Paramjit Singh Sarna, BSP state president Jasvir Singh Garhi, several leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema, Sikander Singh Maluka, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sharanjit Dhillon.