The Punjab government has declared a public holiday on April 27 as a mark of respect to former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who passed away on April 25 at the age of 95.
The veteran leader had been suffering from various health issues and was admitted to a hospital in Mohali. The Punjab government has declared a one-day state mourning, and all government offices, educational institutions, and banks in the state will remain closed on Thursday.
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Parkash Singh Badal’s last rites will be held on Thursday at his ancestral village, Badal, in Muktsar district. Political leaders, dignitaries, and admirers from across the state are expected to attend the cremation ceremony.
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Badal served as the Chief Minister of Punjab five times and was also a Union Minister in the late 1970s. His death has been mourned by politicians cutting across party lines, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered his decades-long association with Badal, saying his death was a personal loss.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann also mourned the loss, saying the state had lost a towering figure.