New Delhi: Amid a sea of people, including top politicians, across the country, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was cremated with state honours in his native village in Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh. Mulayam, 82, passed away on Monday at Medanta hospital in Gurugram at 8.16 am after a prolonged illness.
A large sea of people chanted “Netaji amar rahein” (long live netaji!) as a vehicle carried the mortal remains of Yadav for his last rites.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, representing the Congress, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, former Union Minister of State Praful Patel and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav were the other dignitaries who paid their tributes to the socialist leader.
Yadav was in critical condition and on life-saving drugs for the past several days at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital on October 2 after his health deteriorated.
Several CMs along with the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla attended the funeral, as reported by the news agency ANI. The news of Mulayam Singh's demise was announced by his son and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and PSP chief Shivpal Yadav were present at the last rites ceremony of former UP CM.
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Mulayam Singh Yadav was one of the most prominent leaders of Uttar Pradesh who served as the Chief Minister of the state thrice and has also served in the Union Government as the Minister of Defence. He was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP.
The mortal remains of Mulayam Singh Yadav arrived at his native Saifai village on Monday, hours after the leader died at a Gurugram hospital.
Mulayam was admitted to the hospital in August, was shifted to ICU on October 2 and was on lifesaving drugs since. According to hospital sources, he breathed his last at 8.15 a.m. on Monday.