Former Punjab Cabinet Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal passed away at a hospital in Jalandhar on Thursday. He was 94.He had been unwell for more than seven years and was wheelchair-bound. He remained hospitalised on several occasions and breathed his last at Fortis Hospital in the wee hours of Thursday.Chunni Lal was a BJP leader and served as a minister on various portfolios, including Local Government, Medical Education, Forests, Wildlife and Labour, from 2012 to 2017.He was elected MLA from Jalandhar West thrice, in 1997, 2007 and 2012. He also served as Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.Chunni Lal is survived by four daughters and four sons. His son, Mohinder Bhagat, is currently a minister in the AAP government.He had migrated from Sialkot in Pakistan to India during Partition and started his sports goods manufacturing business here. His grandson, Krish Bhagat, is a cricketer and had played for the Mumbai Indians in April this year.His final rites and cremation will take place at the cremation ground near Model House in Jalandhar at 5 pm on Thursday.


