Overview

• Dhindsa died on May 28 at Fortis Mohali Hospital from cardiac arrhythmia and arrest after suffering severe pneumonia during a prolonged illness.
• He embarked on a six-decade political journey that began as a student leader, led to four terms as Punjab MLA starting in 1972, and included stints in both houses of Parliament and as Union minister for sports, chemicals and fertilisers.
• The Padma Shri awardee of 2004, Dhindsa also served as Lok Sabha MP for Sangrur from 2004 to 2009 and held key portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
• A stalwart of the Shiromani Akali Dal, he formed a rebel faction in 2020 before merging back with the party in March 2024 under Sukhbir Singh Badal’s leadership.
• He is survived by his wife, two daughters and son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, who served as Punjab’s finance minister, and received condolences from leaders across party lines including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.