Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid floral tributes to five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal at the Shiromani Akali Dal office here.
SAD 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 aged 95.
After arriving in Chandigarh, Modi reached the SAD office accompanied by Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
He laid a wreath on the mortal remains of Badal and then sat beside SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The prime minister was seen holding the hands of Sukhbir Singh Badal, expressing grief over the passing away of the SAD chief's father.
Modi stayed at the SAD office for a few minutes.
The mortal remains of Parkash Singh Badal, who straddled the politics of Punjab for over seven decades, were kept at the party office here for a few hours for people and political leaders to pay their last respects.
Immediately after Modi left, Badal's body was taken to his native village in Muktsar where cremation will take place Thursday afternoon.
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 Shri Parkash Singh Badal Ji. He was a colossal figure of Indian politics and a remarkable statesman who contributed greatly to our nation," Modi had said in a tweet.
Several leaders including Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, INLD supremo and former Haryana chief minister O P Chautala, INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala, former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and former Punjab CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Balwinder Singh Bhundar paid homage to the departed soul.
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