Mulayam Singh Yadav death: Leaders condole Samajwadi Party founder's demise | Updates

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has cut short his visit to Rajasthan's Kota and will attend last rites of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the secretariat of Lower House said on Monday.

Birla condoled the demise of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, and is returning to Delhi early from his busy schedule in his parliamentary constituency Kota Bundi, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in an official statement.

Birla will attend the last rites of Yadav in Saifai on Tuesday, the statement said.

The Samajwadi Party patriarch died at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital earlier in the day after a prolonged illness.

"Socialist leader, pillar of socialism, leader of the masses Mulayam Singh Yadav is no more among us. He helped the deprived, poor, needy people of the society and became their voice," Birla said.

Birla said in 17th Lok Sabha, despite his ill health Yadav was regular in the Parliament and was participating in deliberation which speaks of his commitment to and faith in democracy.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan remembered Mulayam Singh Yadav as a deep-rooted leader who changed the direction of politics in Uttar Pradesh.

State Congress unit president Kamal Nath said the late Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch was not a politician but a social worker in the real sense.

Yadav, a former defence minister who had also served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh three times, passed away at 82.

"Yadav was a senior leader of the country. He was deep-rooted. He had changed the direction of politics in Uttar Pradesh. He played a major role in taking forward the socialist movement and had served the people of Uttar Pradesh," Chouhan said.

Mortal remains of former Defence Minister and former UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav reached his ancestral village Saifai in Uttar Pradesh.

His last rites will be held there tomorrow, October 1.

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday condoled the death of former defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and said he gave the Samajwadi Party a strong ideology to stand against communal forces and worked for creating a socialist society.

SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was a great leader and his demise has left a huge void in Indian politics, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said here on Monday. Abdullah made these remarks at a party meeting at the NC headquarters Nawa-i-Subh here, a NC spokesman said.

Condoling the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that his demise is a major loss to the country and polity. The 82-year-old Yadav died at a hospital in Gurugram earlier in the day after a prolonged illness.

“I am deeply saddened to learn about the demise of the great national leader & founder of the Samajwadi Party, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav ji. His passing is a major loss to our country and our polity. My deepest condolences to his family and his followers,” Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, tweeted.

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's death might not have any direct political impact on the party, but its President Akhilesh Yadav will now have to work without his "shield and shadow."

Besides, the party is sure to miss Mulayam Singh's emotional bonding with every camp and also his expert guidance in crucial times, according to political observers and party insiders.

Akhilesh Yadav, his son, became the party president in 2017 after a feud with uncle Shivpal Yadav. Even though he is already at the helm of affairs and has his team in place, Mulayam Singh has left behind him a void which will be hard to fill, they believe.

According to political observer JP Shukla, Mulayam had stopped running the everyday affairs of the party long back, but his blessings were sought before every major decision by the party chief.

Left parties on Monday mourned the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and said he will be remembered as a "fighter" who defended "secular" India. The 82-year-old Yadav passed away in Medanta hospital in Gurugram.

CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury in a tweet said, "The champion of the interests of the marginalised and backward, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav ji steadfastly fought against religious bigotry at a crucial time for India, upholding the unity and integrity of India. Deepest condolences.”

CPI leader Binoy Viswam also expressed grieve over Yadav's demise.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his sorrow at the death of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, calling him as an illustrious political leader. The 82-year-old socialist leader died at a Gurugram hospital on Monday morning after a prolonged illness.

"Deeply pained by the passing away of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji. He was an illustrious political leader who dedicated his life to the service of the people," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Dhankhar.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday expressed grief over the death of Samajwadi Party supremo and three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav and lauded his role in the development of UP.

Yadav, 82, died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after prolonged illness. The former defence minister was admitted to hospital since August and was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Gurugram-based Medanta Hospital on October 2.

Describing deceased former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav as a leader of the whole country, Samajwadi Party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda on Monday said that he had all the qualities to be a prime minister.

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, also a former defence minister of India, died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after a prolonged illness. "Mulayam Singh had the capability to run the country efficiently as a prime minister," he told PTI. Nanda, who was a minister in the erstwhile Left Front government in West Bengal, said that he was with Yadav when the Samajwadi Party was formed in 1992.

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Rajanth Singh on Monday expressed grief over the demise of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, describing him as a grassroot leader. Yadav died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after prolonged illness.

In a series of tweets, Singh said Yadav played a prominent role in politics of Uttar Pradesh. "Mulayam ji had good relations with his opponents. Whenever met him, he discussed various issues with open heart," Singh said.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday condoled the death of Samajwadi Party founder and former defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Yadav, 82, the three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, passed away at the Medanta hospital in Gurugram on Monday afte prolonged illness.

“Saddened by the passing away of Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh & Former Defence Minister of India Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav. My deepest condolences to the family. May God bestow Sadgati to the departed soul. Om Shanti,” Sawant tweeted.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy among a bevy of political leaders from the state on Monday condoled the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. 

Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao said Yadav worked for the welfare of the poor and weaker sections throughout his life. Yadav, who joined politics inspired by great leaders like socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia, served as the Chief Minister of the country's biggest state of Uttar Pradesh thrice and also as Union Minister, Rao said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Medanta hospital in Gurugram where Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav died on Monday and paid his tributes to him. Soon after the news came about the leader's demise, Shah drove to the hospital to share the family's grief.

The home minister met Mulayam's family members, including son and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, at the hospital and expressed his condolences.