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 honours.
"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.
Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away at a Gurugram Hospital on Monday due to age-related ailments. 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.
He was so well-versed in the politics of the state that he was fondly called "Netaji".
He was born November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, and rose quickly in politics to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice. He also served in the Union Government once as the Defence Minister.
After stepping into politics at the age of 28 as an MLA in 1967, he was elected 9 more times to the UP assembly. He also remained Lok Sabha MP 7 times. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh.
( With inputs from ANI )
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