Senior Akali Dal leader and former Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa died in Punjab at the age of 89 on Wednesday. Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Waring announced his death on 10 December, who called the late leader a son of the earth. Amarinder wrote in the post, “My deep and heartfelt condolences to Sardar Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa Saheb’s tragic demise. We have lost a great son of the earth who served Punjab for more than six decades.”
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Dhindsa breathed his last at Fortis Hospital in Mohali on Wednesday after prolonged illness. They were going to treat lung disease and for the last few months they had been coming for medical care. Family sources confirmed that he breathed his last this morning and an important chapter in the political history of Punjab came to an end. Dhindsa was born on 9 April 1936. He was the chairman of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Joint), a party formed by the merger of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), headed by Dhindsa and Ranjit Singh Brahmapura. In March 2024, his party was again merged with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Dhindsa became the chairman of his college student council and later became the youngest sarpanch of Ukhalal. He then became a member of the block committee and won as an independent candidate from Dhanaula constituency in 1972, who was in Sangrur district at that time but is now in Barnala. After winning the assembly elections, he joined the Akali Dal. He later won as an MLA from Sunam constituency in 1977.
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During his tenure as Minister of State, Dhindsa handled important departments like transport, sports and tourism. Dhindsa was a Rajya Sabha member from 1998 to 2004 and 2010 to 2022. He was an MP from Sangrur from 2004 to 2009. He was the Union Minister of Sports and Chemicals from 2000 to 2004. He also worked as a Punjab cabinet minister while being an MLA four times. Dhindsa was awarded the Padma Shri.
