Badal taken ill, cuts short Sangat Darshan

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Churian, June 9

CM Parkash Singh Badal flew back to Chandigarh after he complained of restlessness during a sangat darshan programme being held in Kila Darshan Singh village in Fatehgarh Churian Assembly segment in Gurdaspur.

He had already distributed grants to residents in the villages of Bijliwal, where he had also inaugurated an electricity sub- station, Bhagowal and Hothian before he expressed uneasiness while attending the fourth programme of the day at Kila Darshan Singh. Doctors accompanying him requested him take some rest. Kumar Amit, joint principal secretary to the CM and SP (CM Security) Sukhdev Singh Sandhu were also present when he was holding the sangat darshan. The SMOs of Batala and Gurdaspur civil hospitals, Dr Sanjeev Bhalla and Dr Vijay Kumar, respectively, were also at the spot.

Batala SDM Saurabh Arora and SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon accompanied him to the helipad at Bijliwal village from where he flew back to Chandigarh.

Before leaving, the CM instructed Gurdaspur DC Pardeep Sabharwal not to let his absence affect the programme. However, it was not clear if the sangat darshan, which was a three- day affair, would continue on Friday and Saturday.

Former Speaker N S Kahlon, who has been designated as the halqa in-charge of the Fatehgarh Churian Vidhan Sabha seat, took charge in the CM’s absence.

Officials accompanying the CM said that when the CM landed at Bijliwal at 8am for the first round of the sangat darshan he looked fit. However, by the time the proceedings commenced at Kila Darshan Singh four hours later, he started showing signs of fatigue. At 2.15pm, the CM’s cavalcade drove to the helipad.

CM has mild fever, advised rest

The CM has mild fever and decided to postpone his programmes.  CMs Adviser on National Affairs Harcharan Bains said the CM who returned to Chandigarh has been advised rest for the next couple of days. Doctors at his residence this afternoon attributed the mild fever to exertion. The fresh schedule for his programmes will be announced later, said Bains.

Programme against advice of doctors

Badal was hospitalised on Thursday for the second time in less than five months. The CM is reportedly holding his programmes against the advice of the doctors. He had said: Though doctors have advised me not to hold sangat darshans on hot and sunny days, yet I can’t spend a single day without meeting the public. He was last hospitalised on January 22 after complaining of congestion while holding the sangat darshan programme in Nawanshahr.