Beant Singh’s widow cremated with state honours
By IANSTuesday, August 3, 2010
CHANDIGARH - Jaswant Kaur, the widow of slain Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, was cremated with full state honours at the Beant Singh Memorial in Sector 42 here Tuesday.
Kaur died Monday following cardiac arrest at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here. She was 86.
Her son Tej Parkash Singh, former Punjab transport minister, lit the pyre. Leaders of Punjab Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Akali Dal attended the cremation.
Those present included Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Local Government Minister Manoranjan Kalia, Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal, Leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Chandigarh Mayor Anu Chathrath.
Kaur, who was given cabinet minister status, was allotted a government bungalow in the upscale Sector 5. She was provided with Z-plus security cover for her life time.
Her daughter Gurkanwal Kaur is a former minister of state for social welfare, and grandson Ravneet Singh Bittu is Member of Parliament from Anandpur Sahib.
Beant Singh was assassinated Aug 31, 1995, by a suicide bomber here. He was credited with ending terrorism in Punjab and ushering in an era of peace and prosperity in the state.
