Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister of Punjab and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Parkash Singh Badal (95) passed away on Tuesday. He was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali and was ill for a long time. Hospital officials told PTI that Badal breathed his last at around 8 pm. According to the news agency ANI, on the death of Parkash Singh Badal, the central government will announce two days of national mourning.
The senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali a week ago after he complained of breathing problems. He was also kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Monday, where doctors were closely monitoring his health.
Badal, a five-time chief minister of Punjab, was also admitted to the hospital in June last year due to gastritis and difficulty in breathing. He was taken to a private hospital in Mohali in February 2022 for a post-Covid health check-up. Badal was infected with the coronavirus in January last year and was admitted to a hospital in Ludhiana.
Badal is survived by his son and Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter Preneet Kaur, who is married to former cabinet minister Adish Pratap Singh Kairon. The Akali Dal patron was the oldest candidate to contest the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. However, he lost to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Gurmeet Khuddian from the Lambi assembly seat by 11,357 votes.
