CHANDIGARH: Veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa passed away on Wednesday evening at 89 after a prolonged illness, marking the end of an era in Punjab's political landscape. He had parted ways with the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal and was with the party's rebel faction.
Dhindsa died at Fortis Hospital in Mohali. He was suffering from severe pneumonia and cardiac complications. He is survived by his wife, son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, who was finance minister in the erstwhile SAD-BJP government, and two daughters.
A medical bulletin issued by the hospital stated that Dhindsa was admitted on May 27 in a critical condition. "He was suffering from severe pneumonia and cardiac complications, compounded by age related health issues. Despite the best efforts of the multidisciplinary medical team, he passed away at approximately 5:05 PM today due to cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest," it read.
Born on April 9, 1936, in Ubhawal village of Sangrur district, Dhindsa studied at Government Ranbir College in Sangrur where he joined student poltics. Dhindsa became the president of the student council of his college and later the youngest sarpanch of Ubhawal. He was then elected as block samiti member and in 1972 he won from the Dhanaula assembly constituency, which was then in Sangrur district but is now in Barnala, as an independent candidate. After winning the polls, he joined the Akali Dal and won from the Sunam assembly segment in 1977. He was an MLA four times.
Dhindsa was a minister in the SAD government in Punjab and held various portfolios including transport, sports and tourism.
Then from 1998 to 2004 and again from 2010 to 2022, he was a Member of Parliament. He served as Union minister of sports and chemicals from 2000 to 2004 in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Dhindsa was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004.
Dindsa left the Akali Dal due to differences with Sukhbir Singh Badal and formed his own party SAD (Sanyukt). In March last year, he merged his party with the SAD. The merger came nearly four years after Dhindsa and his son were expelled from the party in February 2020 over alleged anti-party activities. But later he again parted ways with Sukhbir and was in the rebel group of the party.
Dhindsa once held the influential position of secretary general in the SAD and was widely regarded as the party’s second-in-command after party patriarch and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condoled the death of Dhindsa, saying, "In Dhindsa Sahab’s death, Punjab and the country have lost a great leader whose loss will be felt for a long time to come. We have lost a great son of the soil who served Punjab for over six decades. He served as the Union Minister besides contributing immensely and positively to the state and national politics." Warring added, “He was probably among the last great icons of the state who were witness to eventful history of Punjab. The vacuum created by his demise will be too difficult to be filled."
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also paid his condolences on the death of Dhindsa on social media platform X and shared a photo of him with the veteran leader.