Veteran Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was on Friday cremated with state honours in his ancestral Ubhawal village amidst a massive gathering of mourners, including political leaders. The pyre was lit by his son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, former finance minister of Punjab. Besides, Sukhdev Dhindsa’s wife Harjit Kaur, two daughters, daughter in-law Gagandeep Kaur and grandchildren were present.
Deputy commissioner Sandeep Rishi laid the wreath on behalf of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Wreaths were also laid by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, MP Malwinder Kang, cabinet minister Aman Arora, Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
The office-bearers of the Punjab Olympic Association, led by president Brahm Mohindra and secretary general Raja KS Sidhu, paid tribute to Dhindsa who served as the association’s president for a long 41 years, from 1978 to 2019. He also held the position of president of the Cycling Federation of India during his long and distinguished career in sports administration.
Among those present were Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Kaler, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema, Sangrur MP Meet Hayer, Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar leaders Manpreet Ayali, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Gobind Singh Longowal, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Iqbal Singh Jhunda.
Born in 1936 in Sangrur’s Ubhawal, Dhindsa breathed his last in a private hospital in Mohali on Wednesday evening after prolonged illness. Dhinda was a Rajya Sabha MP from 1998 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2022. He became Shiromani Akali Dal’s Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur in 2004. He was the Union minister of sports, chemicals and fertilisers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
{{/usCountry}}Born in 1936 in Sangrur’s Ubhawal, Dhindsa breathed his last in a private hospital in Mohali on Wednesday evening after prolonged illness. Dhinda was a Rajya Sabha MP from 1998 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2022. He became Shiromani Akali Dal’s Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur in 2004. He was the Union minister of sports, chemicals and fertilisers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
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