The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a three-day state mourning for Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Yadav will be accorded full state honours during his last rites.
According to SP, he will be cremated in Saifai, his native village in Etawah district, on Tuesday around 3 pm.
“He was a pillar of socialism. His death is the end of an era of struggle. I wish peace to the departed soul and my condolences to the bereaved family and supporters,” Adityanath said.
The 82-year-old founder of SP and three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh passed away at around 8.30 am on Monday (October 10) at Gurugram’s Medanta Hospital where he was undergoing treatment.
The news was confirmed by Yadav’s son and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh in a statement.
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“Mere adarniya pitaji aur sabke netaji nahi rahe (my dear father and our leader is no more) – Akhilesh Yadav,” the SP tweeted from its Twitter handle.
Yadav who was undergoing treatment at the hospital since August 22 was shifted to the ICU on October 2 after his health deteriorated. He was being treated by a panel of Medanta doctors.
On Sunday, SP had stated Yadav’s condition to be “quite critical” adding that he was on life-saving drugs.
Yadav ji a key soldier for democracy during Emergency: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Yadav in a series of tweets and shared photographs of him with the SP leader on various occasions including their time as the chief ministers of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh respectively.
“I had many interactions with Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji when we served as Chief Ministers of our respective states. The close association continued and I always looked forward to hearing his views. His demise pains me. Condolences to his family and lakhs of supporters. Om Shanti,” Modi tweeted.
I had many interactions with Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji when we served as Chief Ministers of our respective states. The close association continued and I always looked forward to hearing his views. His demise pains me. Condolences to his family and lakhs of supporters. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/eWbJYoNfzU
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 10, 2022
Calling Yadav a humble and grounded leader with a remarkable personality, Modi said he had devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia.
“Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency. As Defence Minister, he worked for a stronger India.
His Parliamentary interventions were insightful and empahsised on furthering national interest,” Modi said in another tweet.
Irreparable loss, says Congress
The Congress also condoled the death of the SP patriarch, terming it an irreparable loss to Indian politics.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Yadav’s unparalleled contribution to Indian politics as defence minister and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh will always be remembered.
“My deepest condolences to Akhilesh Yadav and all other loved ones,” she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress’ general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Yadav was a stalwart Lohiaite but had admirers across political spectrum. “His tenures as CM of UP were very consequential. He played a key national role on 2 occasions: Deve Gowda & Gujral govts as Defence Min, & in 2002 when he proposed APJ Abdul Kalam for President,” Ramesh said in a tweet.
The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, said, “The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, the patron of Samajwadi Party, former Defense Minister of the country and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is an irreparable loss to Indian politics.”
Senior Congress leader and party’s presidential polls contender Shashi Tharoor offered condolences to Akhilesh Yadav on the passing away of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.
“I had met the former DefenceMinister at the @UN & subsequently exchanged thoughts with him at the LokSabha. A political giant has passed. A great loss to all Indians. OM Shanti,” Tharoor tweeted.
(With inputs from agencies)