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Tag: Kalyan Singh

  • BJP pegs poll strategy on Kalyan Singh’s legacy 

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:   By naming roads, medical institutions and Aligarh airport after BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh and taking out an Asthi Kalash Yatra of the late leader, the BJP has signaled its intent to play up his legacy of blending the Hindutva narrative with OBC politics in the state ahead of the Assembly election early next year. 

    Singh is considered the tallest OBC leader in the state, who rose to fame with the temple movement and became the Hindu Hriday Samrat. It was during his first stint as the chief minister of UP that the disputed structure at Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992.  Following the demolition, he resigned flashing the victory sign and claiming he had fulfilled his promise to Ram devotees.

    Political pundits believe that both the Yogi Adityanath government and the state BJP unit are going the whole hog to unveil various initiatives to capitalise on Kalyan’s OBC-Hindutva connect. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken everything under his control, right from receiving the mortal remains of Kalyan Singh at SGPGIMS on August 21 night to escorting it for the last rites at Bansi Ghat in Narora on August 23. 

    “The party has done everything to make the stature of Kalyan Singh amply clear to the people of UP. His demise has not only reignited the Hindutva sentiment but also his attributes as the OBC leader may come handy to BJP in the 2022 polls,” says Prof AK Mishra, a political scientist.

    According to sources, while part of the ashes of the late leader were immersed in Ganga in Narora by the family on Friday, preparations are on to immerse rest in major rivers of UP, including Ganga in Varanasi and Saryu in Ayodhya. 

    Shraddhanjali Sabhas are being organised across the state. The first one was held in Ayodhya by the saints and seers to pay tributes to Kalyan Singh on Thursday. “Numerically, OBCs make the biggest chunk of voting population in UP. So, the BJP is trying hard to connect with OBCs in Kalyan’s name who belonged to Lodh, a sub-caste  of OBCs,” said Prof Mishra.

    BJP has recently promoted Rajya Sabha MP BL Verma, a protégé of Kalyan as the Union minister of state, and is likely to be entrusted with carrying out one of the seven Jan Ashirwad Yatras in the state. 

  • BJP keen to play up ex-CM Kalyan Singh’s legacy in run-up to 2022 UP Assembly elections

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Set to name roads, medical institutions and even an airport after BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh as well as taking out an Asthi Kalash Yatra of the late leader who proceeded on his heavenly abode on August 21, the BJP is out to play up the legacy of the leader who beguilingly blended a strong Hindutva narrative with OBC politics in the state.

    That is the importance of being Kalyan Singh in Uttar Pradesh which is set for Assembly elections early next year. Kalyan Singh is considered to be the tallest OBC leader in the state who stormed to fame with the temple movement and was bestowed the moniker of ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ till he lived. Under his first regime, the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya took place on December 6, 1992. Following the demolition, he resigned flashing the victory sign and claiming that he had fulfilled his promise to Ram devotees.

    Political pundits believe that both the Yogi Adityanath government and the state BJP unit are going the whole hog to unveil various initiatives to capitalise on Kalyan’s twin OBC-Hindutva connect ahead of the 2022 UP polls.

    CM Yogi Adityanath took everything under his own control—right from receiving the mortal remains of Kalyan Singh at SGPGIMS on the night of August 21 to escorting it for the last rites at Bansi Ghat in Narora on August 23 evening. Moreover, the BJP’s top leadership at the Centre and in the state led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself and including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national chief JP Nadda paid glowing tributes to the departed leader who, despite his brief association with the rival Samajwadi Party, was an ‘RSS favourite’.

    ALSO READ: Kalyan Singh was face of Ram Temple movement, expanded BJP’s social base in UP

    “The party has done everything to make the stature of Kalyan Singh amply clear to the people of Uttar Pradesh. His demise has not only reignited the Hindutva sentiment reviving the memories of 1992 among the BJP supporters but also his attributes as the OBC leader may come in handy to the BJP’s benefit in the 2022 UP polls,” says Prof AK Mishra, a political scientist.

    A proposal to name Aligarh airport after the late leader could be put up before Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet and the party is planning an elaborate ‘Asthi Kalash’ Yatra (a journey with urns containing ashes of the departed soul) across the state.

    As per party sources, while part of the ashes of the late leader was immersed in the Ganga in Narora by the family on Friday, preparations were on to immerse the rest of the ashes in major rivers of UP, including Ganga in Varanasi and Saryu in Ayodhya.

    Moreover, Shraddhanjali Sabhas (memorial meetings) are being organised across the state. The first one was held in the temple town of Ayodhya by saints and seers to pay tribute to Kalyan Singh on Thursday.

    “Numerically, OBCs make the biggest chunk of the voting population in UP. So, the BJP is trying hard to connect with OBCs in the name of Kalyan who belonged to the Lodh sub-caste of OBCs,” said Prof Mishra.

    The BJP has only recently promoted young Rajya Sabha MP BL Verma, a protégé of Kalyan, as a Union minister of state who is likely to be entrusted with carrying out one of the seven ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatras’ in the state.

    After the cremation of the party stalwart on Monday, the BJP’s OBC leaders targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, also an OBC, for not visiting to pay tributes to one of the tallest OBC leaders in the state.

    While Akhilesh had tweeted his condolences on the demise of Kalyan Singh, BSP chief Mayawati had visited the Mall Avenue residence of Kalyan Singh’s grandson Sandip to pay her last respects to the departed soul.

  • Posters condemn AMU VC for condoling Kalyan Singh’s death; UP govt calls it ‘Talibani thinking’

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW/ALIGARH: Posters condemning the Aligarh Muslim University Vice-Chancellor for condoling former chief minister Kalyan Singh’s death appeared on the campus, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to warn of strict action against people having “Talibani thinking” after getting the matter probed.

    The posters, displayed on the AMU campus with “Students of Aligarh Muslim University” written on them, said, “Praying for a criminal is an unforgiving crime”.

    “The condolence words of the AMU VC on the demise of ex-chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh are not only a matter of shame but also hurt the religious sentiments of our community,” the poster said.

    ​ALSO READ | Kalyan Singh cremated with full state honours, Ram temple approach road to be named after him

    It alleged, “Kalyan Singh is not only the main culprit in the demolition of Babri Masjid but also an offender for not obeying the Supreme Court’s order.

    “The VC’s condolence has brought disgrace to the entire AMU fraternity, its traditions and the Aligarh Movement that believe in justice and fairness. We strongly condemn our VC for his shameful act.”

    Tariq Mansoor is the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

    Reacting sharply, state minister Mohsin Raza said the VC acted as per “our culture” and putting up such posters was an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere.

    “If some persons of Talibani ‘soch’ are there, we will also treat them accordingly,” he said.

    ALSO READ | UP govt to name roads after late CM Kalyan Singh in six districts 

    The minister said the matter will be probed and strict action will be taken so that it will set an example for others.

    “‘This is a university of Hindustan. Taliban (Afghanistan’s militia group) is not here. This is an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere,” said Raza, who is the minister of state for minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj.

    AMU officials were not available for comments.

    BJP veteran Kalyan Singh died after a prolonged illness on Saturday night in Lucknow.

    He was the UP chief minister when the Babri Mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992.

    Along with BJP veterans L K Advani and M M Joshi, Singh was among the 32 people acquitted in the demolition case in September 2020.

    The 89-year-old former UP chief minister hailed from the Aligarh district.

  • Kalyan Singh cremated with full state honours, Ram temple approach road to be named after him

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: As the mortal remains of former UP Chief Minister and ex-Governor of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Kalyan Singh, were consigned to the flames on the banks of the Ganga at Bansi Ghat in Narora in western UP on Monday with full state honours, the UP government announced that they will name the approach road to the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya as ‘Kalyan Marg’.

    Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chauhan, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh and former Union Minister Uma Bharti were among those who paid tributes to the departed leader at Narora.

    UP CM Yogi Adityanath in fact had stayed with the mortal remains of Kalyan Singh since the latter’s demise due to multi-organ failure at SGPGIMS on Saturday night. Several UP ministers were part of the funeral procession, apart from thousands of supporters and followers.

    The last rites were performed by the departed leader’s son and BJP MP Rajveer Singh. He was accompanied by his son Sandeep Singh, a minister in the Yogi cabinet.

    Earlier on Monday, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had announced that the road leading to the Ram Janmabhoomi temple complex in Ayodhya will be named after Kalyan Singh. Maurya said the decision was made in view of his contribution to the Ram Mandir movement.

    ALSO READ | Coming generations will be grateful to Kalyan Singh for contributions to India’s cultural regeneration: PM Modi, Amit Shah

    The UP government also decided to rename one important road in five districts after Kalyan Singh. These districts were Lucknow, the temple town of Ayodhya, Sangam city Prayagraj, Bulandshahr and Aligarh, Kalyan Singh’s native district.

    The public works department will soon complete all the paperwork in this regard and come up with the proposal. All these roads will be called Kalyan Singh Marg for which a cabinet resolution will soon be passed.

    When Kalyan Singh’s body reached his home district Aligarh on Sunday evening, his supporters demanded that the stadium and airport in the district should also be named after their leader.

    As per sources, CM Yogi reportedly assured the people of Aligarh that he will consider their demand.

  • PM Narendra Modi joined by many senior leaders to pay respect to former Uttar Pradesh CM Kalyan Singh

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Kalyan Singh ji spent his life to live up to his name, said  Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived in Lucknow on Sunday morning to pay respects and his last tributes to BJP stalwart, former Uttar Pradesh CM and ex-Governor of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Kalyan Singh who passed away after a prolonged illness in the state capital on Saturday night.

    “This a moment of great grief for all of us. Kalyan Singh ji was named Kalyan by his parents and he spent his life living up to his name. All his life he worked towards Jan Kalyan. He lived for Jan Kalyan and made it his mantra. He dedicated everything to the BJP, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and towards a bright future of the country,” said the PM while speaking to media persons after paying tributes to the departed soul at the latter’s residence in Mall Avenue in Lucknow.

    The PM, accompanied by BJP president JP Nadda, reached the state capital at 10.35 am and went straight to Singh’s residence, where his body had been brought from the hospital.

    The PM added that Singh’s name had become synonymous with ‘trust’. He was a committed decision maker and had emerged as an inspiration to others in whatever role he was given, either of an MLA or in the government and also as a governor, the PM said.

    PM Modi said that the nation had lost an able leader and only way to immortalise him and the genuine tribute to the departed leader was to work with his ideals and fulfil his dreams. “I pray to Lord Ram to give strength to his relatives and bereaved family to bear this loss,” said PM Modi.

    Prominent among those who throng state capital on Sunday morning to pay respect to Kalyan Singh included RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosable, BSP chief Mayawati, Defence minister Rajnath Singh and several senior BJP leaders. 

    Singh’s body was taken to Vidhan Bhawan in the early afternoon from where it was shifted to the party headquarters for janata darshan. Later in the evening, the mortal remains of the departed soul were flown to Aligarh in an air ambulance for his final rights which are to be held along River Ganga on Monday. 

    Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to attend the cremation of the BJP stalwart on Monday. The state government has declared a three-day state mourning while August 23, the day of the funeral, has been declared a public holiday.

  • My father was born for ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan: Ex-Uttar Pradesh CM Kalyan Singh’s son

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: With a lump in his throat, Rajveer Singh, son of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, said his father was born for “Jai Shri Ram”, a slogan which was heard outside the veteran BJP leader’s home on Sunday as people gathered there to pay their last respects.

    Singh, who was ailing for some time, died at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow on Saturday night. He was 89.

    To a question that every party worker who came out from the residence chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Rajveer Singh, who is also the Lok Sabha MP from Etah, said, “His birth was for this (Jai Shri Ram) only. He was committed to Ram Mandir, and he has gone to Ram himself. He would be seeing the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. He has gone to Ram Lalla.”

    ALSO READ| He was symbol of ‘trust’: PM Modi pays tributes to ex-Uttar Pradesh CM Kalyan Singh in Lucknow

    The “Jai Shri Ram” slogan had also once galvanised the BJP in the politically-crucial state in the 1990s. Rajveer Singh also said that his family will dedicate itself for the Ram temple. Uttar Pradesh has announced a three-day mourning and a holiday on Monday when the former chief minister’s last rites will be performed.

    Kalyan Singh was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister when the Babri mosque was demolished by a mob of “karsevaks” in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Along with BJP veterans LK Advani and M M Joshi, he was among the 32 people acquitted in the demolition case in September last year.

    ALSO READ| Kalyan Singh was face of Ram Temple movement, expanded BJP’s social base in UP

    A Lodhi leader, Singh was instrumental in the rise of the BJP to power in Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s. He is survived by his wife Ramvati Devi, son Rajveer Singh, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Etah, and grandson Sandeep Singh, who is the minister of state for finance, technical education and medical education in Uttar Pradesh.

  • He was symbol of ‘trust’: PM Modi pays tributes to ex-Uttar Pradesh CM Kalyan Singh in Lucknow

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes here to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, calling the BJP veteran a capable leader who became a “symbol of trust” for the common people.

    The prime minister said that Singh made public welfare the main aim of his life. Singh died at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow on Saturday night. He was 89.

    “The country has lost a valuable personality and a capable leader. To fulfill the void left by him, we should do maximum hard work for his ideals, his promises and leave no effort in achieving his dreams,” Modi told reporters after paying his last respects to the BJP leader.

    He said that Singh lived true to his name given to him by his parents. “He lived his entire life for public welfare. He made ‘jan kalyan’ as the mantra of his life, and dedicated his life for the BJP, Bharatiya Jana Sangh family, for an ideology and for the bright future of the country,” Modi said.

    He hailed Singh as a committed decision maker who symbolised “trust” across the country. “For the most part of his life, he made efforts for public welfare. Whatever responsibility he had got, be it as an MLA, any post in the government, or as a governor, he had been a centre of inspiration for everyone. He became a symbol of trust for the public,” Modi added.

    “I pray to Bhagvan Prabhu Shriram to give Kalyan Singh ji a space at his feet. May Prabhu Ram give strength to his family in the hour of sadness to bear the loss. May Prabhu Ram give consolation to people in the country who believe in his values, ideals, culture and traditions,” the prime minister said.

    Kalyan Singh Ji…a leader who always worked for Jan Kalyan and will always be admired across India. pic.twitter.com/nqVIwilT7r
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 22, 2021
    Modi, after reaching the residence of Singh here, paid tributes to him and placed a wreath at his body. He was accompanied by BJP chief JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, CM Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tributes to the former UP chief minister.

    Speaking to reporters, Rajnath Singh said, “We used to tell him (Kalyan) that we are ‘bhootpoorv’ (former) chief minister, you are ‘abhootpoorv’ (unprecedented) chief minister, on which he used to laugh. I have seen him as an elder brother.”

    BSP chief Mayawati also paid homage to the departed leader. Singh’s body was taken to Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Bhavan from his residence in the afternoon. From there, it was taken to the office of the state BJP, party leaders said.

    On Sunday evening, the body is scheduled to be taken to Aligarh, where it will be kept in a stadium. On Monday morning, it will be taken to Atrauli — his “karmabhoomi” and “janmabhoomi”, Adityanath had said on Saturday.

    The last rites will be performed with full state honours in Narora town, around 60 kilometres from Aligarh, on Monday afternoon, he had said. Uttar Pradesh has announced three-day mourning and a holiday on Monday.

    Singh, who also served as the Rajasthan governor, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the SGPGI in a critical condition on July 4. He died due to sepsis and multi-organ failure, the hospital said. Singh was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister when the Babri mosque was demolished by a mob of “karsevaks” in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

    Along with BJP veterans LK Advani and MM Joshi, he was among the 32 people acquitted in the demolition case in September last year. A Lodhi leader, he was instrumental in the rise of the BJP to power in Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s.

    He is survived by his wife Ramvati Devi, son Rajveer Singh, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Etah, and grandson Sandeep Singh, who is the minister of state for finance, technical education and medical education in Uttar Pradesh.

    Rajveer Singh said his father was born for “Jai Shri Ram”, a slogan that reverberated outside the veteran BJP leader’s home on Sunday as people gathered there to pay their last respects.

    Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader and Lok Sabha MP from Mirzapur Anupriya Patel said the death of Singh marks the end of an era in politics and he was like a father to her. She was at the BJP office to pay tributes to the leader.

    Speaker UP Legislative Assembly Hriday Narayan Dixit said the death of Singh is a loss to nationalist politics. “Under his leadership, nationalism reached outside UP to different parts of India. He was a big face of nationalism, and our mentor and guide,” he said.

    Dixit said Singh took the Ram Temple movement towards a “conclusion” and “prepared an army which worked to awaken nationalism”. He took strict measures against unfair practices during examinations in the state, the speaker said.

  • Uttarakhand observes one-day state mourning on former Uttar Pradesh CM Kalyan Singh’s death

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government declared a one-day state mourning on Sunday, following the death of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh. Singh, who was ailing for some time, died at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow on Saturday night.

    ALSO READ| Kalyan Singh was face of Ram Temple movement, expanded BJP’s social base in UP

    He was 89. Uttarakhand will observe a one-day state mourning on Sunday on the death of the veteran BJP leader, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters here. Dhami described his death as an “irreparable loss” for the political world.

  • Kalyan Singh was face of Ram Temple movement, expanded BJP’s social base in UP

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, who passed away on Saturday, was closely associated with the Ram Temple movement and was one of the most prominent leaders of BJP who helped shape its rise in the most populous state of the country.

    Kalyan Singh became Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for the first time in 1991 as BJP gained support over its demand for the construction of Ram Temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.

    Hailing from the Lodh community, Kalyan Singh helped BJP expand its social base among OBCs and weaker sections, especially in Uttar Pradesh. His political and administrative decisions also contributed to BJP’s rise in the state after the party first came to power in 1991.

    A two-time Chief Minister and a former governor of Rajasthan, Kalyan Singh also held various organisational posts in the BJP, both in the state and the central level.

    Articulate and politically suave, Kalyan Singh was the Hindutva face of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh during the Ayodhya movement and resigned in the aftermath of the demolition of Babri masjid in December 1992. His government had submitted an affidavit in the court that it will not permit damage to the mosque.

    His government went ahead acquiring 2.27 acres around the disputed site in Ayodhya and building the Ram Chabutra close by. In an interview, Kalyan Singh had said he refused to give orders for firing on Kar Sewaks.

    The 89-year-old leader was popularly known as ‘Babuji’. Kalyan Singh was associated with the RSS and was also a member of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

    Kalyan Singh twice left the BJP only to return to the party. He left the party for the first time in December 1999 and returned to it in January 2004 before the Lok Sabha elections. He again resigned from the party in January 2009 to form Jan Kranti Party.

    Born on January 5, 1932 in Aligarh district, Kalyan Singh was first elected to the Uttar Pradesh assembly in 1967 and became a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government for the first time in 1977.

    Kalyan Singh had welcomed the Supreme Court judgement of November 2019 paving the way for the construction of the grand Ram temple at Ayodhya.

    “Everyone has welcomed and accepted the Supreme Court decision which is just and legal and all-inclusive. It has put an end to a 500-year-old dispute,” he had said.

    He had also said that the court had done the right thing by entrusting the construction of the Ram temple to a trust.

    The work on the construction of a grand Ram Temple, for which Kalyan Singh worked all his life, is going on in full swing and the temple is expected to be opened for devotees by end of 2023.

    A special CBI court had in September last year acquitted all the accused including Kalyan Singh in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

    Kalyan Singh became chief minister again in 1997 according to a power-sharing agreement between the BJP and the BSP.

    The BSP withdrew support to the government and he continued as chief minister as a faction of Congress extended support. The government was dismissed in 1998. Uttar Pradesh will again go to the polls early next year and the BJP government in the state will seek another term in office.

    BJP leaders paid glowing tributes to Kalyan Singh.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a statesman, veteran administrator, grassroots level-leader and great human and said he leaves behind an indelible contribution towards the development of Uttar Pradesh.

    “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,” the Prime Minister said.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Kalyan Singh left an indelible impression on the country and society through his work and personality.

  • Coming generations will be grateful to Kalyan Singh for contributions to India’s cultural regeneration: PM Modi, Amit Shah

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Expressing deep pain at the death of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that coming generations will remain forever grateful to him for his contributions towards India’s “cultural regeneration”.

    Modi said he was saddened beyond words at his demise.

    Singh was firmly rooted in Indian values and took pride in its centuries-old traditions, he said and lauded him as a “statesman, veteran administrator, grassroots level leader and great human”.

    He leaves behind an indelible contribution towards the development of Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister said.

    Modi spoke to Singh’s son Rajveer Singh, a Lok Sabha MP of the BJP, to convey his condolences.

    “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,” he said.

    Singh (89), who had been ailing for some time, breathed his last on Saturday night, the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow said.

    Singh was closely associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

    The Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished when he was the state’s chief minister in 1992.

    The Supreme Court had in 2019 handed over the disputed site to Hindu bodies, paving the way for the beginning of the construction of Ram temple there.

    A backward caste leader, Singh was instrumental in the rise of the BJP to power in Uttar Pradesh in 1990s.

    In a series of tweets in Hindi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was rare to find a great personality like Singh — a staunch nationalist who lived in the hearts of the people.

    The home minister said Singh, as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, had delivered good governance with his devotion and political skills and ran a public welfare government free from fear and crime which was an excellent role model for the governments to come for its unprecedented reforms in the field of education.

    “I bow down to such a great and ideal life dedicated to the nation, religion and people. The country and the entire BJP family is mourning his death,” he said.

    Shah said Singh, through his diligence, while holding various constitutional posts, made his unique contribution to the progress of the country by connecting the farmers, poor and deprived sections with the mainstream of development.

    “With the death of Kalyan Singh ji, the country has lost a true patriot, honest and devout politician today.

    Babuji was such a huge tree, under whose shadow the organisation of BJP flourished and expanded.

    As a true worshiper of cultural nationalism, he served the country and the people throughout his life,” he said.

    The home minister said the country and the generations to come will always be indebted to Singh for his immense contribution.

    “May God give him a place at his feet,” he said.

    Singh (89), who had been ailing for some time, breathed his last on Saturday night at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow.

    Describing Kalyan Singh as a stalwart of Indian politics, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said with his demise, he has has lost his elder brother and a companion.

    “Kalyan Singh’s death is a great loss for Indian politics and a very sad moment for me,” he said in a series of tweets.

    Rajnath Singh, who had succeeded Kalyan Singh as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, said the latter was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and played an important role in the Ram temple movement.

    “Pained by the demise of former Chief Minister of UP, Shri Kalyan Singh. He was a nationalist and an exemplary leader who was deeply committed to serving people. My thoughts are with his bereaved family and followers,” the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Venkaiah Naidu.

    “Kalyan Singh ji had a magical connect with masses. As chief minister of UP, he determinedly pursued clean politics and purged governance of criminals and corruption,” President Ram Nath Kovind said in a message on Twitter.

    “He dignified the offices he held. His demise leaves a vacuum in public life. My heartfelt condolences,” Kovind said.