LUCKNOW, Oct 10: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress today paid tribute to Mulayam Singh Yadav on his first death anniversary.
To mark the day, the Samajwadi Party organised blood donation camps and several other programmes across the state, and distributed fruits among the poor.
In Etawah district’s Saifai, the party’s chief Akhilesh Yadav, MP Ramgopal Yadav, Shivpal Yadav and other senior leaders paid tributes to Mulayam Singh Yadav at his ‘Samadhi Sthal’.
Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X, said, “Those who reside in the hearts of people, they don’t go anywhere even after they are gone.” He said that he bowed to his father’s principles and vowed to make them come true.
A ‘havan’ was held in Mulayam Singh Yadav’s house in which Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple Yadav and other family members, including Ramgopal Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, former MPs Dharmendra Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav took part.
Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, who is now in the BJP, also participated in the ‘havan’.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Adityanath said, “Humble tribute to former defence minister and ex-Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on his death anniversary.”
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai paid tributes to Mulayam Singh Yadav and said that currently there is no backward class leader who can fill the void caused by the demise of the Samajwadi Party founder.
“While Mulayam Singh Yadav ji gave strength to the backward classes, he also kept all other communities connected with him. He was a practical leader who had cordial relations with all political parties,” Rai said in the statement.
No backward class leader is visible “far and wide” in Uttar Pradesh politics to fill the void caused by Mulayam Singh Yadav’s death, he added.
Rai’s statement assumes significance since both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are part of the opposition’s INDIA alliance with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, batting for the cause of PDA which he defined as a “Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities)”.
The Samajwadi Party’s ally Rashtriya Lok Dal also paid tributes to Mulayam Singh Yadav.
In a post on X, it said, “Tributes to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Padma Vibhushan Mulayam Singh Yadav on his death anniversary.” It also posted a picture of RLD leader Ajit Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav.
In Lucknow, the Samajwadi Party’s students wing launched a signature campaign seeking Bharat Ratna for Mulayam Singh Yadav. The students wing’s national president Imran Idris said the signature campaign will continue till the birth anniversary of the Samajwadi Party founder on November 22.
Mulayam Singh Yadav was Uttar Pradesh chief minister thrice and was also defence minister of India. (PTI)
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