Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Punjab Ex-Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal Dies After Prolonged Illness
Bhagat Chunni Lal, a former Punjab minister, has died after being ill for a long time.
He died at his home in Jalandhar on Thursday.
Different reports gave his age as 93 or 94.
His son, Mohinder Bhagat, announced the death.
Chunni Lal was an important BJP leader in Jalandhar.
He was elected to the Punjab Assembly three times.
He also served as deputy Speaker and as a cabinet minister.
The government announced a half-day holiday, and his cremation was planned for Thursday evening.
Former Punjab minister and veteran BJP leader Bhagat Chunni Lal died at his Jalandhar home after a prolonged illness.
Reports differed on his age, describing him as either 93 or 94.
His cremation was scheduled in Jalandhar at 5 pm on Thursday, while the Punjab government declared a half-day holiday.
Lal was a three-time MLA, served as deputy Speaker in 2011 and held two cabinet portfolios in 2012.
Born in Sialkot on December 1, 1932, he moved with his family to Jalandhar after Partition.
- Who
- Bhagat Chunni Lal, a former Punjab minister and veteran BJP leader, died; his son Mohinder Bhagat announced the death.
- What
- Lal died after a prolonged illness at his home; his cremation was scheduled for 5 pm Thursday.
- When
- Thursday, September 10; the articles do not specify the year.
- Where
- His home in Jalandhar, Punjab; the cremation was also scheduled in Jalandhar.
- Why
- The reports said he died after a prolonged illness but did not provide a specific cause of death.
- Reported age
- 93 in one report and 94 in another.
- Birth
- December 1, 1932, in Sialkot, now in Pakistan.
- Political party
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- Political career
- Three-time MLA; he first won from Jalandhar South on a BJP ticket in 1997 and was re-elected in 2007 and 2012.
- Government roles
- Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly in 2011 and cabinet minister in 2012.
- Ministerial portfolios
- Local Government and Medical Education and Research.
- Government response
- Punjab declared a half-day holiday after his death.
