Crowds turning up to pay last respects to Malayam Singh Yadav at Saifai

People in large numbers were headed Tuesday for the last rites of veteran socialist leader Mulayam Singh Yadav at his native village Saifai in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh, the intermittent morning drizzle adding to the sombreness.

The Samajwadi Party founder and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister passed away aged 82 at a private hospital in Gurugram on Monday.  His mortal remains were brought to Saifai Monday evening and kept at his kothi where thousands descended to pay their last respects to “Netaji”, as Yadav was fondly called.

Party workers and people in their hundreds — riding cycles, motorcycles, cars, SUVs and other means of transport — were headed to Saifai from nearby areas Tuesday morning for the final rites. In her condolence message, President Droupadi Murmu Monday described Yadav as “Dharti Putra” – a moniker bestowed on the socialist leader for his growth as a political heavyweight from the grassroots level.

“Yadav was hugely popular among the locals for his conenct with the masses,” Manoj Mishra, a native of Etawah told

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