Ex-MP Gurdas Badal passes away at 88

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Badal (Muktsar), May 15

Former MP Gurdas Singh Badal, father of Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, passed away around midnight following a cardiac arrest. He was 88.

He was unwell for a while and put on the life-support system at a hospital in Mohali.

Gurdas Badal had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Lambi against his elder brother, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, in 2012.

The ties between Parkash Badal (Pash) and Gurdas Badal (Dass) remained cordial in spite of the political feud. Before they parted ways, they were known as “Pash te Dass di jodi” as Gurdas had always performed the role of an election manager of his elder brother.

Gurdas Badal’s wife, Harmandir Kaur, had passed away on March 19. He is survived by his son Manpreet and daughter.

He had won the Lok Sabha elections from Fazilka in 1971. Before that, he served as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from March 1967 to April 1969. He also remained director of the marketing federation, Punjab.

At the cremation ground, a contingent of the Punjab Police gave him a guard of honour.

Cabinet Ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Vijay Inder Singla, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Aruna Chaudhary and Sunder Sham Arora, and legislators Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Kulbir Singh Zira were present during the last rites. Radha Soami sect head Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon was also present.

Parkash Badal, his son Sukhbir, daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur and grandchildren also marked their presence. Other prominent persons who were preset were former ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema, Sikander Singh Maluka and Janmeja Singh Sekhon.

Though Manpreet, in a tweet and a video message, appealed to his friends, supporters to refrain from attending the cremation because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of people gathered.

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CM, Jakhar extend condolences

Chandigarh: Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh extended his condolences to Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal over the death of the latter’s father, former MP Gurdas Singh Badal. In a condolence message, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said, “It is a huge loss to the family. I hope Manpreet and his sister will have the courage to bear the irreparable loss. I pray to the Almighty to grant eternal peace to the departed soul.” State Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said Gurdas Badal’s life was dedicated to public service. “With his departure, not only the family but also the politics of Punjab has suffered a loss,” he said. TNS