PM pays tributes to Kalyan Singh, says he was ‘symbol of trust’
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 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 said after paying his last respects to the BJP leader.
He said 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 was accompanied by BJP chief JP Nadda, UP Governor Anandiben Patel, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tributes to former UP chief minister. BSP chief Mayawati also paid homage to departed leader.
Singh’s body was taken to UP Vidhan Bhavan from his residence in the afternoon. From there, it was taken to the office of the state BJP, party leaders said.
The body is scheduled to be taken to Aligarh later in the day, 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.