Indian politics is known for intense war of words and acrimonious relationships among politicians. However, some adorable incidents also happen in the course of politics that later become memories in the history of polity. One such incident comes accross our mind as we are paying last respect to the tallest politician from Punjab- Parkash Singh Badal.
In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal's feet. The PM greeted Badal as he travelled to Varanasi to accompany PM Modi who filed a nomination on April 26, 2019.
The gesture of PM Modi was applauded on social media. In a video, PM Modi was seen touching Badal's feet before moving on to other allies like- then allies- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, O Panneerselvam and Uddhav Thackeray.
PM Modi reaches Chandigarh to pay last respects
PM Modi reached Chandigarh on Wednesday and went to the SAD office here to pay his last respects to former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal who died at a private hospital in Mohali.
Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Badal was admitted to the Fortis Hospital in Mohali on April 16 after he complained of uneasiness in breathing.
He breathed his last around 8 pm Tuesday.
The mortal remains of Badal, who straddled the politics of Punjab for over seven decades, have been kept at the party office here as scores of mourners assembled to pay their last respects.
Personal loss: PM Modi
Modi had on Tuesday described the demise of Badal as a "personal loss" and said he was a colossal figure of Indian politics who contributed greatly to the nation.
"Extremely saddened by the passing away of Parkash Singh Badal Ji. He was a colossal figure of Indian politics and a remarkable statesman who contributed greatly to our nation," PM Modi had said in a tweet.
SAD snapped over two-decades-long ties with BJP
Interestingly, PM Modi's BJP and Badal's SAD are not friends anymore. PM's Chandigarh visit to pay homage to Badal surprised many. Earlier, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) founded by Badal pulled out of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2020, citing “injustice to farmers" over 3 Farm Bills. SAD was one of the oldest allies of BJP for around 24 years.
(With PTI input)
Also read- PM Modi pays homage to SAD founder leader Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh
