Chaudhary Santokh Singh cremated with state honours

Jalandhar, January 15

Jalandhar Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who died following a cardiac arrest while participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Phillaur on Saturday, was cremated at his native Dhaliwal Qadian village on Sunday.

His son and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary lit the pyre. The MP’s last rites were performed with full state honours. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended his cremation. He hugged the wailing family members, including his wife Karamjit Kaur and Vikramjit.

Deputy Commissioner Jaspreet Singh laid the wreaths on behalf of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the district administration. Prominent among the Congress leaders who paid their respects to the departed soul were ex-Punjab CM Charanjit Channi, PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of the Opposition Partap Bajwa, AICC Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary, former Punjab Speaker Rana KP, former PCC chief MS Kaypee, MPs Mohammad Sadiq and Gurjeet Singh Aujla, ex-ministers Pargat Singh and Rana Gurjeet Singh, MLAs Bawa Henry, Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Hardev Singh Laddi and ex-MLA Rajinder Beri, Alka Lamba and Dr Navjot Dahiya.

Chairman of the National Commission for SCs Vijay Sampla, ex-BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia, ex-BJP CPS KD Bhandari and local AAP MLAs Balkar Singh, Sheetal Angural and Raman Arora were also among those present.

Owing to the sudden demise of 76-year-old two-time MP and the Dalit leader, the Bharat Jodo Yatra was stalled on Saturday morning. He was also a two-time Punjab minister, brother of ex-minister and five-time MLA Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and son of ex-minister and seven-time MLA Master Gurbanta Singh.