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, Defence 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
Expressing his grief over the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav Defence 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 popularising 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."
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 Defence Minister.
He 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.
( With inputs from ANI )
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