Former Uttar Pradesh CM Kalyan Singh passes away

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and former Governor of Rajasthan and  senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh died on Saturday August 21,2021 at Lucknow. He was admitted at SGPGI Lucknow following sepsis and multi-organ failure. He was 89. He was under treatment since July 4. Kalyan Singh was first admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Lucknow before being shifted to SGPGI. His cremation will be held on Monday Agust 23,2021 at Narora on the bank of river Ganga with full state honour. UP government has announced three day mourning on his demise. Singh was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh,  twice including June 1991 to December 1992 and September 1997 to November 1999. Disputed structure at Ayodhya was demolished during his first term on December 26, 1992.

Several senior leaders of the country including President Ramnath Kovid, home ministry Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had visited the SGPGI during his treatment. His son Rajveer Singh is MP Lok Sabha and grandson Sandeep Singh is Minister of State in UP cabinet. Kalyan Singh entered the Uttar Pradesh legislature as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Atrauli in 1967. He was nine time MLA from the same constituency as a nominee of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the Janata Party, the Rashtriya Kranti Party, and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was expelled from BJP and he formed his own party Rashtriya Kranti Dal. In 2004 he again joined BJP and was elected a Member of Parliament from Bulandshahar. He left the BJP for a second time in 2009, and successfully contested the 2009 Indian general election as an independent from Etah. He joined the BJP again in 2014, and was appointed Governor of Rajasthan. Trial for criminal conspiracy to demolish the Babri Masjid was started in September 2019 and he was acquitted by a special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2020. Kalyan Singh was born in Aligarh district in 1932. In his long politically carrier he had lost only one election for state assembly in 1980 against a congress nominee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  has expressed grief over Kalyan Singh's death. In a tweet 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.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 21, 2021

 

Defense  minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and many other leaders have paid tributes to Kalyan  Singh.