Union minister Rajnath Singh said that with the demise of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, he had lost a "big brother and a companion".
"Kalyan Singh's demise has caused irreparable loss. We shared an old relationship. I've known him since I was elected as MLA in 1977 when he became UP Health Minister. It's difficult to decide whether he was a leader, big brother or friend," the defence minister said on Sunday.
The union minister also said that he would visit Lucknow for the 'Antim Darshan' of Kalyan Singh who passed away on Saturday due to sepsis and multi-organ failure at the age of 89.
In an earlier tweet, Rajnath Singh said: "With the passing away of Shri Kalyan Singh ji, I have lost my elder brother and companion. The void created by his death is almost impossible to fill. May God give patience and strength to his bereaved family in this difficult time of grief."
The senior BJP leader had been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in the Uttar Pradesh capital since July 4. On Friday, his condition deteriorated, following which he was placed on dialysis.
( With inputs from ANI )
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