Former UP CM Kalyan Singh Passes Away At 89; UP Govt Announces 3-Day State Mourning

Kalyan Singh breathed his last today due to prolonged illness and gradual failure of many parts of the body.

Former UP CM Kalyan Singh. (File Photo)

Lucknow: Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and former Governor of Rajasthan Kalyan Singh passed away on Saturday evening after a prolonged illness.

Singh was admitted in critical condition to the ICU of Critical Care Medicine of Sanjay Gandhi PGI on 4th July. He breathed his last today due to prolonged illness and gradual failure of many parts of the body.

He was 89.

Singh was admitted to SGPGI on July 4 in the Intensive Care Unit in critical condition. He died due to sepsis and multi-organ failure, the hospital said in the statement.

Singh was the UP chief minister when the Babri mosque was demolished by a mob in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. He later also served as the governor of Rajasthan.

Soon after the news of his death came to light, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and expressed grief. 

"Generations to come will remain forever grateful to Kalyan Singh Ji for his contributions towards India’s cultural regeneration. He was firmly rooted in Indian values and took pride in our centuries old traditions," he tweeted.

Apart from PM Modi, several other politicians across the party lines extended grief over the death of veteran leader. 

Singh was also a wrestler and teacher who later became launch pad for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a three-day mourning in the state to console his demise.

"Three-day state mourning will be declared to condole the demise of Kalyan Singh. His last rites will be performed on the bank of Ganga in Narora in the evening of on August 23. There will be a public holiday on August 23," Adityanath Singh.