Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Badal village to pay his last respect to former Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal at his native village Badal.
The Home Minister paid tribute to former CM Badal. Addressing a gathering at a prayer meeting (antim ardas), he said that sad demise of Parkash Singh Badal is unrepairable damage to the Punjab and India. Sikhs have lost their soldiers, the country has lost its Bhagat. Farmers have lost their true son.
“I have met Badal sahab several times. I learned many things from him. I took suggestions from him in difficult times. The parties were different, but he suggested the same which was right for my party as well. Only a great man can give suggestions with so much transparency. I can say that he laid the foundation of a new Punjab,” Shah said.
Earlier, SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami also raised the demand of release of Sikh prisoners, a day after Supreme Court declined to commute Balwant Singh Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment. However, Shah did not react to it during his speech.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Dera Beas chief Gurinder Dhillon, former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, Assam Cabinet Minister Atma Vohra, Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Advocate Harjinder Singh were among those who attended the ‘Bhog Ceremony’ of the five-time chief minister.
A day after the death of former CM Badal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Chandigarh and paid tribute to him. On the day of the funeral, BJP National President JP Nadda reached the village Badal and paid his last respects.
In a career spanning 75 years, Parkash Singh Badal served as the Chief Minister of Punjab five times.