Badal village turns into a fortress

Muktsar, April 26

As the last rites of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will be performed at Badal village on Thursday, the preparations are in full swing. The village roads are being cleaned and repaired, huge parking lots being made in the fields.

The family has chosen nearly three-acre area of their kinnow orchard, adjacent to the Civil Hospital on the Bathinda-Kheowali Road, for the grand old man’s cremation. A number of kinnow trees are uprooted and a heightened platform of 30×50-ft is being constructed for the cremation.

Earlier, the Badals used to perform the last rites of their family members at a cremation ground located next to the focal point on Bidowali village road. However, that place is small and located on a narrow road.

“A large number of people are expected to come tomorrow and there will be a complete traffic mess on the roads, thus the new place is chosen,” said Pawanpreet Singh Bobby Badal, a cousin of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Besides, huge arrangements are being made for ‘langar’ for the public. The village market remained shut throughout the day. Sources claimed that Harsimrat had arrived at the village late last night. Some party workers and leaders were waiting for the arrival of his corpse.

Meanwhile, the village was converted into a fortress and barricades placed on the roads.

PK Yadav, IGP, Faridkot, said, “VIPs, including some CMs, are expected to come tomorrow. All security arrangements are being made. Some helipads too have been made.”