Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal’s statue installed alongside ex-deputy PM Chaudhary Devi Lal’s at Killianwali village

Dushyant Chautala says statue of ‘Jananayak Chaudhary Devi Lal, along with Sardar Prakash Singh Badal, symbolises the brotherhood between Haryana and Punjab’

A statue of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal installed alongside former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal at a memorial at Mandi Killianwali in Lambi Assembly segment in Muktsar district on Friday. Tribune photograph

PTI

Chandigarh, December 8

A lifesize statue of former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was placed alongside that of former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal at a memorial at Killianwali village on Punjab-Haryana border on Friday to commemorate the 97th birth anniversary of the late SAD leader.

The unveiling of the statue took place in the village which falls in Punjab and is located close to Dabwali town in Haryana’s Sirsa district.

Among those present at the unveiling ceremony were Jannayak Janta Party president Ajay Singh Chautala, Haryana’s Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Shiromani Akali Dal president and the late Badal’s son Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and several SAD leaders.

Ajay Chautala said both Prakash Singh Badal and Chaudhary Devi Lal fought tirelessly for the poor, farmers, and the working class throughout their lives.

He said the lifesize statues of the two personalities would be an inspiration for future generations.

Dushyant Chautala said that the statue of “Jananayak Chaudhary Devi Lal, along with Sardar Prakash Singh Badal, symbolises the brotherhood between Haryana and Punjab”.

He mentioned that after Devi Lal’s demise in 2001, Prakash Singh Badal had erected a statue of the former deputy prime minister in the village of Killianwali.

Akali stalwart and five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal died in April this year.

“Two brothers united today, with five-time chief minister S Parkash Singh Ji Badal’s lifesize statue being placed along with that of Lok Nayak Ch Devi Lal ji at a memorial at Killianwali village. Badal Sahab has joined his lifelong friend with whom he had a bond even stronger than that of siblings.

“Now this space is really complete. I pray to the almighty that may this bond between the two families grow stronger with every generation. My gratitude to Bhai Ajay Chautala ji and Dushyant Chautala Ji for making this possible,” Sukhbir Badal posted on X after Badal’s lifesize statue was unveiled.

Meanwhile, to commemorate the 97th birth anniversary of Parkash Singh Badal as “Sadbhavana Diwas”, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal inaugurated a medical check up and blood donation camp at Civil Hospital at Badal village in Punjab.

On the occasion, Sukhbir Badal said that such camps were being organised in all 117 assembly constituencies of Punjab by the Akali leadership.