Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch and five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (1927–2023) was a towering figure in Punjab's political landscape. Throughout his career, he won elections 11 times to the state assembly and once to the Lok Sabha.
Sources from the state legislative assembly disclosed that Badal was entitled to a pension exceeding ₹6 lakh per month due to his tenures as an MLA. During the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) campaign in the 2022 Punjab Elections, concerns were raised about long-serving MLAs from traditional parties drawing substantial pensions, often running into lakhs.
After losing the election, Parkash Singh Badal announced his decision to forgo the pension owed to him as a former MLA.
As a prominent leader, Badal played a significant role in shaping the SAD, serving as its president from 1995 to 2008, after which his son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, succeeded him. His influence extended to key Sikh institutions like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
In recognition of his contributions, Badal was honored with the title "Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum" by the Akal Takht in 2011 for his efforts in creating Sikh memorials such as Virasat-e-Khalsa. In 2015, he received the Padma Vibhushan from the Indian government for his service to politics, agriculture, and infrastructure.
However, in solidarity with the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest, Badal returned the Padma Vibhushan in 2020.