PM Modi grieves Kalyan Singh`s demise, says, `India will remain forever grateful to him`

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday (August 21) condoled the demise of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP veteran Kalyan Singh, who passed away at the age of 89. 

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi remembered Singh as a ‘statesman, veteran administrator, grassroots level leader and great human’. In a series of tweets, Modi wrote that the former UP CM gave voices to the marginalised and worked for their empowerment. 

“I am saddened beyond words. Kalyan Singh Ji…statesman, veteran administrator, grassroots level leader and great human. He leaves behind an indelible contribution towards the development of Uttar Pradesh. Spoke to his son Shri Rajveer Singh and expressed condolences. Om Shanti,” the PM tweeted. 

Further, he said, “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.”

“Kalyan Singh Ji gave voice to crores of people belonging to the marginalised sections of society. He made numerous efforts towards the empowerment of farmers, youngsters and women,” Modi tweeted. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said with the demise of Kalyan Singh, he has lost his elder brother and companion. 

“Kalyan Singh was a stalwart of Indian politics, who left an indelible mark on the country and society with his personality and work... In his demise, I have lost my elder brother & companion. The void created by his death is almost impossible to fill,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. 

Kalyan Singh breathed his last in Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) on Saturday night. He was admitted to Lucknow's 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 a statement. The BJP leader was UP's CM when the Babri mosque was demolished by a mob in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Kalyan Singh also served as the governor of Rajasthan.

Condoling Singh's demise, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, "Kalyan Singh ji as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, by realizing the concept of good governance with his devotion and political skills, gave a public welfare government free from fear and crime and also an excellent role model for the governments to come by making unprecedented reforms in the field of education."

He added, "It is rare to find a great personality like respected Kalyan Singh ji, a strong nationalist who lives in the hearts of the people."

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said the state government will declare a three-day mourning. "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," CM Yogi Adityanath was quoted as saying by ANI. 

(With agency inputs)