Akali Dal Patron Parkash Singh Badal Dies At 95

Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal passed away on Tuesday evening. He was 95. Parkash Singh Badal, the patriarch of Punjab's Shiromani Akali Dal, was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Mohali following complaints of breathing difficulties on April 21. He breathed his last around 8 pm, hospital officials told news agency PTI. Badal was in the intensive care unit of the hospital where doctors had been closely monitoring his health condition. Parkash Singh Badal served Punjab as Chief Minister for five times. The former SAD chief was has been the Chief Minister of the state from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002 and from 2007 to 2017 (two consecutive terms). Parkash Singh led the party as the president from 1995 to 2008. Singh was honoured with Padma Vibhushan in the year 2015.

PM Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the first leaders to express their grief on Parkash Singh Badal demise. "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," PM Modi tweeted.

 

Shri Parkash Singh Badal’s passing away is a personal loss for me. I have interacted closely with him for many decades and learnt so much from him. I recall our numerous conversations, in which his wisdom was always clearly seen. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. pic.twitter.com/YtD9xKsos2 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2023

"Parkash Singh Badal’s passing away is a personal loss for me. I have interacted closely with him for many decades and learnt so much from him," PM Modi added.

Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted: "The passing away of veteran leader, Shri Parkash Singh Badal Sahab is deeply saddening. His career spanning several decades was dedicated to the welfare of the poor. His demise is an irreparable loss to Indian politics. My heartfelt condolences are with his family and followers."

Shah added that he was fortunate to meet Parkash Singh Badal on several occasions. "His unparalleled political experience was very helpful in public life and always a delight to listen to. The memories of those meetings will always remain with me," he said.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said: "Parkash Singh Badal ji was a veteran of Indian politics. Although we differed in our ideologies, he earned immense respect among the people of Punjab for his simplicity and loyalty to his cadre, as he served multiple terms as chief minister. Our deepest condolences to his family." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed sadness at Badal`s death.

Describing him as a tall leader of Punjab, Gandhi expressed his condolences to his son Sukhbir Badal and his family.