Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top leaders of various political parties attend last rites of Samajwadi Party supremo in his native town
Our Bureau
Saifai (UP)/New Delhi
The last rites of Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav were performed at his ancestral village, Saifai in Uttar Pradesh today and were attended by senior leaders and top officials.
Mulayam Singh passed away on Monday morning at the age of 82 at Gurugram’s Medanta Hospital due to age-related ailments. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital last Sunday after his health deteriorated. He is survived by two sons, Akhilesh and Prateek. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and PSP chief Shivpal Yadav were present at the last rites ceremony of former CM of UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav
Born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, Mulayam Singh rose quickly in politics and became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice; he also served in the Union government once as the defense minister.
Yadav was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP.
His career began when he was elected MLA in 1967 at the age of 28. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. His son Akhilesh Yadav took over the party’s reins later and is now its president.
For a long time, the veteran politician had remained synonymous with the politics of the state. He saw UP go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career.
Expressing his grief over the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, “We had a very strong relationship. Mulayam Singh Yadav was a big personality in Indian politics, it is a huge loss for the country. We all have come here to pay our tribute to him. PM Modi could not come here but he asked me to pay tribute on his behalf”.
Congress presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari and other leaders of the party reached the ancestral village to attend the last rites of former CM of UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Meanwhile, condolences poured in after the demise of the veteran Samajwadi Party leader and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences on the demise of veteran politician and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying his death is an “irreparable loss” to the country.
“The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is an irreparable loss to the country. The achievements of Mulayam Singh Yadav ji, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary. ‘Dharti Putra’ Mulayam ji was a down-to-earth veteran leader. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.
Soon after learning about the demise of the Samajwadi Party founder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recollected his relationship with the veteran leader and tweeted, “Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people’s problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularizing the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr Lohia.”
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, “I express my deepest condolences on the demise of former UP CM & veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav. Despite his old age and deteriorating health, he regularly attended Lok Sabha sessions. He served the country staying in various imp positions.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the demise of veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying his death has ended an era of struggle and socialism in the country.
Adityanath also announced a three-day state mourning and said the veteran leader’s last rites would be conducted with full state honors. “The death of former UP Chief Minister Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav ji is extremely sad. His death has ended a prominent pillar of socialism and an era of struggle. I pray to God for peace to the departed soul and my condolences to the bereaved family and supporters,” the chief minister tweeted in Hindi.
In another tweet, Adityanath said he has talked to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son and Samajwadi President Akhilesh Yadav on phone and expressed his condolences.
