Chandigarh, May 24
Surinder Kaur, wife of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, breathed her last at the PGI here today following a prolonged battle with cancer. She was 72. Admitted to the PGI on May 12, she was shifted to the ICU almost a week ago.

Though Surinder Kaur breathed her last at about 2 pm, official confirmation of her death came after an hour after desperate efforts by doctors failed to revive her.

It was around 3 pm that the word spread that the CM’s wife was no more. Leaders began pouring in. Finance Minister Upinderjit Kaur was the first to reach the PGI. With VIPs thronging the hospital, there was traffic chaos for almost two hours. A PGI ambulance, decked with flowers, took Surinder Kaur’s body to the Chief Minister’s official residence in Sector 2. Later, an AC ambulance took the body to Badal village in Muktsar.

Though the CM put up a brave face, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh broke into tears as he helped place his mother’s body in the ambulance. Surinder Kaur will be cremated at the native village of the Badals tomorrow.

She is survived by Badal, son and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter Preneet Kaur.

PM telephoned Parkash Singh Badal and expressed his condolences. PM is in Ethiopia for the Africa-India Summit.