Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh) — State-run administrative offices, colleges, and schools across Punjab suspended operations for the latter half of Thursday to honour the memory of former cabinet minister Bhagat Chunni Lal. The senior politician breathed his last in Jalandhar at the age of 94 after struggling with persistent health complications.
The deceased statesman was the father of sitting Punjab cabinet member Mohinder Bhagat. Relatives confirmed that the final rites and cremation are scheduled for later in the day in Jalandhar, where community members, regional dignitaries, and political colleagues are gathering to offer their tributes.
A longstanding figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party, Chunni Lal built an extensive legislative footprint in the state over several decades. He handled key ministerial responsibilities—including urban civic administration, medical education, and labour welfare—during the Shiromani Akali Dal–BJP joint administration under former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal from 2012 to 2017. Earlier in his political journey, he occupied the post of deputy speaker in the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 2011 alongside securing multiple assembly victories representing Jalandhar.
Tributes poured in from across the political divide following the news of his death, with public figures recognising his relentless focus on municipal infrastructure and lifelong dedication to public service.
