Beant Singh (chief minister)
| Beant Singh | |
|---|---|
Beant Singh
|
|
| 12th Chief Minister of Punjab | |
|
In office 1992–1995 |
|
| Preceded by | President's Rule |
| Succeeded by | Harcharan Singh Brar |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 19, 1922 Patiala, Punjab |
| Died | August 31, 1995 (aged 73) Chandigarh, Punjab |
| Political party | Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Jaswant Kaur |
| Children |
Tej Parkash Singh Gurkanwal Kaur |
| Alma mater | Government College University, Lahore |
Beant Singh (19 February 1922 - 31 August 1995) was an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 to 1995. He was a member of Indian National Congress. He was killed in a car bombing, in retaliation for the alleged human rights violations during the anti-insurgency operations in Punjab,
Beant was born in undivided Punjab and later migrated to the Bilaspur village in the Doraha tehsil of the Ludhiana district. Thereafter he shifted to village Kotli in the same district. He completed his education from the Government College Lahore. At the age of 23, he joined the army but after two years of service, decided to make a switch to politics and social work.
After the 1947 partition, Beant Singh entered the Punjab politics. In 1960 he was elected chairman of block samiti (committee) of Doraha, in Ludhiana district. After serving for some time as Director of the Central cooperative bank in Ludhiana, Beant Singh entered the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (assembly) as an independent candidate in 1969.
Beant Singh became the chief minister of Punjab in 1992. Beant Singh's tenure as the chief minister witnessed the Punjab insurgency. Under him, the Punjab Police crushed the pro-Khalistan militants forcefully, inviting claims of human rights violations.
Many reports state an estimated number of over 25,000 people were abducted and killed under impressions of fake encounters which some say was to please the government in Delhi.
Beant Singh was assassinated in a bomb blast at the secretariat complex in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. The blast claimed the lives of 17 others including 3 Indian commandos. Beant Singh was accompanied by his close friend Ranjodh Singh Mann on the day of assassination.Dilawar Singh Jaisinghvala of Babbar Khalsa International acted as the suicide bomber; later, the backup bomber Balwant Singh Rajoana was also convicted for the killing.
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