Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Last Rites Performed With Full State Honours In Sangrur

Sangrur: Veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Union Minister, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, was cremated at his native village Ubhawal in Punjab's Sangrur district on Friday.

Dhindsa died due of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Mohali on May 28. He was 89. His last rites were performed at his native village

Relatives and several political leaders were present with his family at this hour of grief. They paid their tributes and offered condolences to Dhindsa's son Parminder Singh Dhindsa. Punjab Police personnel made arrangements to hold the last rites of the Akali leader with full state honours.

Former Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal prayed for his soul and the family to bear the loss.

Several politicians including Congress leader Vijay Inder Singhal, BJP's Ashwani Sharma and Preneet Kaur and Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj came to his house to pay their last respects.

Leaders and workers of Sangrur unit of SAD were present at Dhindsa's last journey as the entire Sangrur bid him farewell with teary eyes. Akali leader Prem Singh Chandu Majra, who was present at the farewell, said, "We have lost a great personality and a major political face of Punjab".

Dhindsa started his political journey as a student leader from Government Ranbir College in Sangrur. He won the sarpanch election from Ubhawal village and became the youngest sarpanch of Sangrur. In 1972, he won the election from Dhanaula assembly constituency as an independent candidate and later joined the SAD. He was the Union Minister of Sports, Chemicals and Fertilisers in the third Vajpayee Cabinet from 2000 to 2004. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004 and 2010 to 2022 and served as a Lok Sabha member from Sangrur from 2004 to 2009.

Dhindsa was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2019 but he had returned the award during the farmers' movement in 2020 to extend support to the farmers.