People throng SAD office to pay homage to Badal; PM pays floral tributes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid floral tributes to Parkash Singh Badal at the Shiromani Akali Dal office here as scores of people and political leaders assembled to pay homage to the five-time Punjab chief minister.

Badal had not been keeping well and was admitted to the Fortis Hospital in Mohali near here on April 16 after he complained of uneasiness in breathing. He died on Tuesday aged 95.

The Punjab government has declared a holiday on Thursday as a mark of respect to the former chief minister. According to an official order, all government offices, departments, boards, corporations and educational institutions in the state will remain shut on Thursday.

The central government has already announced two days of state mourning on April 26 and 27 across India as a mark of respect to the former chief minister.

The mortal remains of the SAD patriarch, who straddled Punjab politics for over seven decades, were brought to the party head office here in an ambulance.

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