Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 5-time Punjab CM, dies at 95

The Akali stalwart, who as a politician had dealt with each one of India’s prime ministers — from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi — after beginning his career as a village sarpanch, was admitted to a Mohali hospital on April 16 with “acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma” and was shifted to the medical ICU on April 18 as his respiratory condition worsened. A team of doctors led by Prof (Dr) Digambar Behera declared him dead at about 8 pm.