Akhilesh Yadav condoles Amar Singh's death, says 'deprived of his affection'

LUCKNOW: Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, who once wielded immense influence in power circles as a close aide of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, died on Saturday in Singapore where he was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments. Singh, 64, had undergone a kidney transplant in 2011 and was not keeping well for a long time. He was admitted to a hospital in Singapore some eight months ago.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed his condolences on the death of former party leader Amar Singh and said he had been deprived of his affection. The two had differences and rise of Akhilesh Yadav in the party was seen as a reason for Singh's bitter parting of ways with Samajwadi party after he rejoined it in 2016.

"On being deprived of Amar Singhji's affection-care, my heartfelt condolences and tributes," Akhilesh said in a tweet. 

He also posted a picture of him, Singh and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.Singh was expelled as a fallout of crisis in Samajwadi Party ahead of last assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. 

In a veiled reference to Amar Singh, Akhilesh had blamed an 'outsider' for the crisis in the party that spilled into the open after he stripped his uncle Shivpal Yadav of key ministerial portfolios.

Ram Gopal Yadav, a party leader loyal to Akhilesh Yadav, had also attacked Singh, saying some people and accused him of taking advantage of simple nature of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Singh, in an interview later, had termed Akhilesh Yadav as 'Aurangzeb'.

Singh had also recalled his contribution to Akhilesh Yadav's life and said he had gone to Australia for his education and helped becoming him the president of Uttar Pradesh.